4YFN - Interview with Seqera Labs

Barcelona Health Hub returns once again to 4YFN 2023, the startup business platform at the Mobile World Congress next month. At the BHH stand you’ll explore cutting-edge technologies, new tendencies and future solutions, provided by the BHH members. One of the companies you can meet at 4YFN is BHH member Seqera Labs, a provider of software that helps drive the analysis and sharing of scientific data at scale. Today we meet with Evan Floden of Seqera Labs, who will share with us more about their expectations for this edition of 4YFN.

Evan, thank you for joining Barcelona Health Hub! We’re looking forward to seeing you at the BHH stand at 4YFN. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about Seqera Labs? Sure. Four years ago, and following my doctoral studies at UPF in Barcelona, we created Seqera Labs with a simple idea, which was to reduce the complexities scientists face in their day-to-day. This followed the launch of Nextflow, already ten years ago, something which originally had very humble ambitions and has now become a standard within bioinformatics. Prior to this I spent some time wokring in product development at Aroa Biosurgery, helping the company grow from a five-person team to an IPO.

In a nutshell, Seqera Labs is a leading provider of secure collaborative analytics software, designed by scientists to address the complex challenges of data analysis in the life sciences sector. The company's flagship product, Nextflow, simplifies the cost and complexity of working with large datasets, enabling organizations including AstraZeneca, Roche, Johnson & Johnson, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals to securely process complex data at scale, promoting more efficient innovation. In addition to its commercial offerings, Seqera Labs' core ethos is centered on democratizingaccess to scientific data and fostering innovation. As a steward of its community of over 10,000 contributors, the company offers over 70 high-quality, product-ready open source data pipelines to its users, setting a new standard in the industry.

Can you elaborate about what’s new at Seqera Labs these days? At Seqera, we have experienced significant growth over the past few months, and we are now focused on preparing the company for its next phase. Our goal is to solidify our structure and establish our brand as the leading player in data orchestration worldwide. To achieve this, we are investing in several key areas. Firstly, we are strengthening our existing product offerings, Nextflow and Tower, to ensure that they continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are also working on communicating the value and impact of our offerings more effectively, while building a team of rockstars that will support our growth and maintain our position as a leader in the industry.

BHH is glad to see you present at the digital health area of Barcelona Health Hub. Could you share why you decided to join Barcelona Health Hub at 4YFN? The mission and focus of Barcelona Health Hub aligns perfectly with Seqera Labs' commitment to promoting innovation and collaboration in the healthcare sector. 4YFN provides a unique platform to connect with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors, and I am excited to be a part of it. Joining Barcelona Health Hub at 4YFN is a strategic move for Seqera Labs as we seek to expand our reach and connect with key players in the healthcare industry. I am eager to share our vision and solutions with the attendees and to engage in meaningful discussions that will drive progress in the field.

You’re also participating in the #BHHPanel about “Digital Disruption in Pharma”. Can you tell us what would be your key message at the panel? While there is a growing focus on patient solutions, it is often overlooked that a significant number of innovations in healthcare stem from the effective use of large amounts of data, particularly sequencing and imaging data. Often, we see innovations in the digital health space that focus on patient-oriented solutions, trying to mitigate the effect of certain therapeutic diseases, but we fail to recognise the need for secure, efficient and scalable solutions to process and orchestrate such data. This need is becoming increasingly pressing, and it is critical to work together to drive progress in the field and find solutions that will benefit both the industry and patients.

What are you excited about these days at the 4YFN conference? I am extremely excited about the 4YFN conference and the opportunities it presents for Seqera Labs. The conference has grown from a small satellite event to the MWC to one that competes in size and importance with it. This is a clear indication of the growing interest and empowerment of tech startups. It is a thrilling time to be a part of the tech startup community, and I am eager to see the latest innovations and advancements in the field.

In particular, I am excited about the potential for data-driven solutions and how they can be leveraged to drive progress in the healthcare industry. As I mentioned in my previous answer, data plays a critical role in shaping the future of healthcare, and I am eager to learn about the latest advances and innovations that are using data in new and creative ways. I am also looking forward to engaging with other attendees and sharing my thoughts and experiences with them. Overall, 4YFN is a unique platform for tech startups to connect with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am eager to see what the future holds and to be a part of shaping it with our participation in the conference.

If you’re interested in meeting Seqera Labs, don’t hesitate to visit the BHH Stand 8.1D30 in Hall 8 on Monday and Tuesday. Barcelona Health Hub is already looking forward to meeting you! More information here.