Presenting Health Incubator Helsinki batch 2 companies:
AnalysisMode speeds up scientific discovery
For science, the lab is often the true battleground where breakthroughs are made. But what if you could run tests as a simulation – and have a Virtual Home Lab at your disposal? Meet Finnish startup AnalysisMode, one of the promising startups selected for the Health Incubator Helsinki program that started in the spring of 2021.
For AnalysisMode, the above seemed like an intriguing possibility. Instead of using hundreds of hours per year doing manual experiment data analysis, one could unleash the power of AI – and secure accurate results in a matter of hours.
So how does it all work, then? With AnalysisMode, scientists can use past experiment data, usually in the form of spreadsheet datasets, as input for the startup’s AI. AnalysisMode can train the AI-based on this data, in order to predict and design new experiments.
“With our solution, you can predict bench experiments before making them,” sums up Tiago Sampaio, co-founder and R&D Director of the company that was founded in 2017.
Scientists using AnalysisMode’s solution are able to rack up five times more discoveries – while saving considerably.
Tiago Sampaio, co-founder and R&D Director of AnalysisMode
Five times more discoveries
In this undertaking, one uses – in lieu of an actual bioreactor – a virtual bioreactor, a digital twin of the real thing used in a lab.
“Our virtual bioreactor supports experiment simulations in different modalities, such as CHO cells, T-Cell, Viral Vectors, and more can be added at the request of the customer.”
The AnalysisMode software can run tens of thousands of simulations based on the input data provided by the scientist, discovering more “recipes” for cell culture experiments.
“From simple text data, we manage to predict molecular-level properties,” Sampaio explains.
Sampaio says that scientists using AnalysisMode’s solution are able to rack up five times more discoveries, while saving around €250,000 in annual biomanufacturing and research costs (per 10-people bench science team).
Opening the AI “black box”
According to Sampaio, the virtual model has several attractive qualities from the perspective of the scientific community. First, it works also for small data, which is useful when dealing with novel diseases, for example.
“Second, our AI technology is capable of explaining each prediction – in human language, instead of a mathematical formula, and it is adaptable, meaning you don’t need to retrain a whole AI every time new data is added.”
Finally, under this model, the bench scientist is able to understand why the AI makes every single prediction – and work is able to proceed that much smoother.
“We opened the AI black box into a transparent interface to allow for this,” reveals Sampaio.
For example, with cell therapy, the cost can be as much as one million euros per just one patient right now. Using AI, we can cut the price by half.
Health hackathon champion
In addition to perfecting their AI solution, AnalysisMode has been busy making a name for itself in hackathon circles. In 2020, the company won five HackTheCrisis events and was a finalist at EU vs Virus. Previously, the company has also won the Finnish Ultrahack: This year, the company won EU’s Data 4 Healthy Recovery hackathon and was recently chosen as the winning team in the EU Data 4 Healthy Recovery Accelerator.
What’s the secret behind such a stellar performance?
“I believe it is a combination of domain knowledge and determination that wins hackathons. We go all-in,” Sampaio says with a grin.
