What GeneFirst does

GeneFirst Limited is a privately-held molecular diagnostics company founded in 2011 and headquartered at Abingdon Science Park, Oxfordshire, UK. It develops and commercialises proprietary NGS library preparation and qPCR technologies for infectious disease, cancer diagnostics, and personalised medicine, serving healthcare laboratories, researchers, and pharmaceutical/drug companies. Its technology platform is anchored by ATOM-Seq (Adaptor Template Oligo Mediated Sequencing), a patented ligation-free NGS library preparation method that incorporates Unique Molecular Identifiers directly onto sample molecules, complemented by MPA (Multiplex Probe Amplification), MMD-PCR (Multiplex Mutation Detection PCR), and PCDR (Polymerase Chain Displacement Reaction) chemistries. The commercial product portfolio comprises the XCeloSeq NGS kit family (targeted cfDNA, FFPE DNA/RNA, fusion detection, methylation, and custom panels), the CE-IVD marked Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA and mRNA kits for cervical cancer screening, CE-IVD marked Upper and Lower Respiratory Panels, and qPCR mutation detection kits (JAK2 V617F, ABL T315I).

The company generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of its diagnostic kits and NGS reagents, supplemented by a technology licensing channel for MPA and MMD. Distribution is quote-based, executed through direct sales in the UK and a network of regional distributors covering 20+ countries across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, with manufacturing under ISO:13485 certification. To date the company has been funded almost entirely through competitive non-dilutive grants — two Innovate UK awards (2017), a €2.9M Horizon 2020 grant (2018), and a £1.4M NIHR grant with the University of Leeds (2021) — rather than venture capital, and has no disclosed PE, VC, or parent company ownership. Recent strategic activity includes Thai FDA approval for the Papilloplex HR-HPV kits and the launch of second-generation XCeloSeq cfDNA kits, both in June 2026, alongside active academic and consortium partnerships in HPV, respiratory, and oncology applications.

Name

GeneFirst

Legal name

GeneFirst Limited

Website

https://genefirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GeneFirst is a UK-based molecular diagnostics company that develops proprietary NGS (ATOM-Seq) and qPCR (MPA, MMD-PCR) kits for oncology, infectious disease, and personalised medicine, serving healthcare laboratories, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies through direct UK sales and a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Diagnostics

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/NAAT/NGS-based IVD) (HLAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF), Multiplex & High-Throughput Diagnostics Platforms (microarrays, digital PCR, lab automation-enabled assays) (HLAAALAL)

Keywords

• Molecular diagnostics kits
• NGS library preparation
• Cancer mutation detection
• HPV genotyping assays
• Respiratory pathogen PCR

Headquarters

HQ city

Abingdon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. NGS Library Preparation Kits: Sale of XCeloSeq product line including targeted cfDNA kits, FFPE DNA/RNA kits, fusion detection kits, and total cfDNA capture kits for next-generation sequencing applications.
2. qPCR Diagnostic Kits: Sale of HPV screening assays (Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA and mRNA kits), respiratory infection panels (Upper and Lower Respiratory Panels), and mutation detection kits (JAK2, ABL).
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing opportunities available for MPA and MMD technologies to other companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GeneFirst develops and manufactures proprietary molecular diagnostic kits and reagents based on its patented ATOM-Seq NGS capture chemistry and MPA/MMD/PCDR qPCR technologies. The company's commercial product range spans CE-IVD marked HPV and respiratory infection assays, XCeloSeq NGS kits for liquid biopsy and FFPE tissue analysis across multiple cancer types, and qPCR mutation detection kits targeting oncology biomarkers. These products are sold to researchers, clinical laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies for cancer diagnostics, infectious disease detection, and personalised medicine applications.

Product overview

GeneFirst is a molecular diagnostics company offering a portfolio of proprietary NGS library preparation and qPCR technologies focused on oncology, infectious diseases, and personalised medicine. The core technology platform is ATOM-Seq (Adaptor Template Oligo Mediated Sequencing), a patented ligation-free NGS library preparation method that incorporates Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs) directly onto sample molecules, which underpins the XCeloSeq product line for targeted and whole-sample cfDNA/FFPE DNA/FFPE RNA analysis. The qPCR portfolio includes MPA (Multiplex Probe Amplification) technology enabling high-throughput multiplex detection and MMD-PCR (Multiplex Mutation Detection PCR) for cancer mutation detection. Product portfolio spans: (1) NGS kits including targeted cfDNA kits for liquid biopsy mutation detection (Colon, Lung, Breast Cancer, Pan Cancer), FFPE DNA/RNA kits for fusion detection across multiple cancer types, and total cfDNA capture kits including methylation analysis; (2) CE-IVD marked diagnostic kits including Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA and mRNA assays for cervical cancer screening, and Upper/Lower Respiratory Panels for infectious disease detection; (3) qPCR mutation detection kits for JAK2 and ABL markers. All products are supported by ISO:13485 certified manufacturing at the Oxfordshire facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA Kit (CE-IVD) CE-IVD marked qPCR assay based on MPA technology for simultaneous detection and differentiation of 14 high-risk HPV genotypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68) targeting the E6/E7 region with 100% clinical sensitivity, intended for cervical cancer screening laboratories.
• Papilloplex HR-HPV mRNA Kit (CE-IVD) CE-IVD marked qPCR assay that detects E6/E7 mRNA expression from high-risk HPV genotypes to identify cervical cancer risk in HPV-positive individuals, complementing the Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA Kit.
• Upper Respiratory Panel (CE-IVD) CE-IVD marked multiplex PCR test detecting 11 pathogens in upper respiratory tract specimens including Adenovirus, Bocavirus, HCoV strains, hPIV1-4, Influenza A/B, Metapneumovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, RSV, Rhinovirus, and SARS-CoV-2 variants.
• Lower Respiratory Panel (CE-IVD) CE-IVD marked multiplex PCR test detecting 9 pathogens associated with community-acquired pneumonia including Bordetella pertussis, Coxiella burnetii, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, Moraxella catarrhalis, Pneumocystis jirovecii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
• XCeloSeq Colon Cancer cfDNA Kit V2 Targeted cfDNA enrichment kit using ATOM-Seq v2 capture chemistry to detect mutations across hotspot regions of 22 colon cancer genes and 5 DPYD pharmacogenetics SNPs from liquid biopsy samples (SEQ031).
• XCeloSeq Lung Cancer cfDNA Kit V2 Targeted cfDNA enrichment kit using ATOM-Seq v2 capture chemistry to detect mutations across 17 genes frequently mutated in lung cancer from liquid biopsy samples (SEQ032).
• XCeloSeq Breast Cancer cfDNA Kit V2 Targeted cfDNA enrichment kit using ATOM-Seq v2 capture chemistry to detect mutations across 12 genes frequently mutated in breast cancer from liquid biopsy samples (SEQ033).
• XCeloSeq Pan Cancer cfDNA Kit V2 Targeted cfDNA enrichment kit using ATOM-Seq v2 capture chemistry for pan-cancer liquid biopsy mutation profiling across multiple tumour types.
• XCeloSeq Fusion Research Kit NGS library preparation kit (SEQ007) using ATOM-Seq technology to capture and enrich gene fusions from 74 genes involved in chromosomal rearrangements in cancer, detecting both known and unknown fusion events from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Precision Colon Cancer+ FFPE Kit FFPE DNA kit (SEQ029) covering 15 genes plus MSI, pharmacogenetics (DPYD/UGT1A1), and therapy guidance markers including BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, TP53, EGFR, HER2, MET, designed for bowel cancer therapy guidance and Lynch syndrome testing.
• XCeloSeq Colon Cancer FFPE Kit FFPE DNA kit for detecting common colon cancer mutations across hotspots in 22 genes and 5 DPYD SNPs from FFPE-preserved samples.
• XCeloSeq Lung Cancer Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ008) for capturing gene fusions from 15 genes frequently involved in lung cancer chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Solid Cancer Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ012) for capturing gene fusions from 53 genes frequently involved in solid cancer chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Actionable Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ015) for capturing gene fusions from 12 genes involved in therapy guidance for targeted cancer treatments from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Lymphoma Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ018) for capturing gene fusions from 33 genes frequently involved in lymphoma chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Myeloid Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ017) for capturing gene fusions from 39 genes frequently involved in myeloid malignancy chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq ALL Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ019) for capturing gene fusions from 44 genes frequently involved in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq Sarcoma Fusion Kit Targeted RNA kit (SEQ014) for capturing gene fusions from 26 genes frequently involved in sarcoma chromosomal rearrangements from FFPE RNA samples.
• XCeloSeq cfDNA Library Prep Kit Whole-sample library preparation kit (SEQ001) capturing all single- and double-strand DNA from cell-free DNA samples with 2.0 hours of hands-on time using ATOM-Seq technology.
• XCeloSeq Methyl-cfDNA Kit Methylation analysis workflow kit (SEQ004) that captures cell-free DNA and enriches high-GC DNA to support improved coverage of CpG islands for epigenetic analysis with 2.5 hours of hands-on time.
• JAK2 Mutation Detection Kit (V617F) Real-time PCR mutation detection kit using MMD technology that enables detection of the V617F mutation in the JAK2 gene against a background of wild-type genomic DNA for myeloproliferative disorder diagnostics.
• ABL Mutation Detection Kit (T315I) Real-time PCR mutation detection kit using MMD technology that enables detection of the T315I mutation in the ABL gene for managing CML patients resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
• XCeloSeq Custom Panels Custom assay development service for cfDNA, RNA, and FFPE workflows including applications for treatment response monitoring, minimal residual disease (MRD), organ rejection monitoring, CRISPR genome edit tracking, and viral integration mapping; manufacturing performed under ISO 13485 certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• ATOM-Seq captures up to 179% more cfDNA molecules compared to ligation-based capture chemistry
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Aquarius Population HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2023Health economics consultancy partnership for developing economic evidence supporting adoption of GeneFirst's syndromic multiplexed PCR tests into clinical practice. Part of IHI-funded RAPID COVID consortium project.
• Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Consortium - RAPID COVIDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2023Consortium project partners including Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Hospital Costa Del Sol, Biosistemika, and PrimaDiag for developing syndromic testing strategy for respiratory diseases.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2021Collaborative partnership for development of predictive diagnostic panel for HPV infections evolving into cervical cancer, funded by £1.4M NIHR grant awarded to GeneFirst and University of Leeds.
• HiantisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration as part of HPV OncoPredict project for developing diagnostic tests to identify women with HPV infection at higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
• Calibre ScientificminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based distributor for GeneFirst products
• WinnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThailand-based distributor following Thai FDA approval of Papilloplex HR-HPV kits
• HiSS Diagnostics GmbhminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustria and Germany-based distributor for GeneFirst products in Europe
• BiocantminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChile-based distributor for GeneFirst products in Latin America
• FilgenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapan-based distributor for GeneFirst products

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Qiagen: Global leader in sample preparation and molecular diagnostics kits, including NGS library prep and HPV testing. Closely comparable to GeneFirst's ATOM-Seq-based XCeloSeq kits and Papilloplex HPV assays, serving the same clinical and research customers.
• Twist Bioscience: Provides NGS target enrichment and library preparation products, including custom panels for cfDNA and oncology. Directly comparable to GeneFirst's XCeloSeq targeted and custom NGS kits using ATOM-Seq technology.
• Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT, part of Danaher): Major supplier of NGS library prep, qPCR assays, and custom oligonucleotides used by the same molecular diagnostics customers as GeneFirst. Overlaps with XCeloSeq kits, MMD-PCR mutation detection, and custom panel services.
• Hologic: Markets the Aptima HPV assays (DNA and mRNA) for cervical cancer screening on the Panther platform. Directly competes with GeneFirst's Papilloplex HR-HPV DNA and mRNA kits in the high-risk HPV genotyping market.

Broad incumbents

• Roche Diagnostics: Broad molecular diagnostics portfolio including cobas HPV tests, ctDNA liquid biopsy assays, and the AVENIO NGS kits. Overlaps with nearly all of GeneFirst's product verticals (HPV, oncology NGS, respiratory).
• Bio-Techne: Through its Diagnostics and ProteinSimple segments, Bio-Techne offers molecular diagnostics reagents and exosome/EV-related workflows relevant to cfDNA/FFPE sample prep. Comparable as a tools-grade supplier to clinical and research labs.
• Cepheid (Danaher): Operates the GeneXpert system with a broad menu of CE-IVD/FDA-cleared molecular assays including respiratory pathogen panels and HPV. Overlaps with GeneFirst's multiplex PCR respiratory panels on the customer/clinical side.
• Respiratory pathogens panel developers (e.g., BioMérieux BioFire, QIAGEN QIAstat-Dx): Syndromic multiplex respiratory panels (FilmArray, QIAstat-Dx) directly compete with GeneFirst's CE-IVD Upper and Lower Respiratory Panels for hospital-adopted pneumonia and viral testing.

Emerging players

• Natera: Specializes in cfDNA-based liquid biopsy tests for oncology (Signatera) and reproductive health. Comparable to GeneFirst's XCeloSeq cfDNA liquid biopsy kits as an end-user and emerging competitor in ctDNA workflows.
• Sysmex Inostics: Offers highly sensitive digital PCR and NGS services for ctDNA oncology testing (SafeSEQ, Plasma-Sequencing). Comparable to GeneFirst's ultra-sensitive mutation detection claims (0.1% MMD-PCR) in the oncology liquid biopsy niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genefirst-ltd
• Xx.com/genefirst

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GeneFirst