Co-founder and CEO Auindrila Das. Image: Flávia Bianchi
CEO Auindrila Das previously worked in clinical genetic institutions serving rural India, helping patients with congenital conditions such as thalassemia and autism.
Advancements in the field of genetics have helped us uncover substantial secrets about our evolutionary past, from the time we almost went extinct to how harmful bacteria affecting humans evolved in tandem with farming. It has also shown promise for human health in the future, such as providing new ways to tackle eye disease, finding new treatments for cancer and even slowing down ageing.
However, genetic testing has miles to go before it becomes mainstream in healthcare. The global genetic testing market was estimated to be worth around $8.84bn last year. Thanks to surging interest in preventative healthcare, this figure is projected to shoot up to more than $64bn by 2033.
Gclinics, an Irish start-up founded by scientist and genetic engineer Auindrila Das, wants to streamline this genetic-testing process. By working with healthcare professionals and medical labs, Gclinics aims to make it easier to diagnose genetic diseases.
How it started
With a background in genetic engineering in India, Das says she has always been driven by a “deep desire” to solve complex problems. She has a master’s degree in molecular medicine from Trinity College Dublin. “After a decade of research in healthcare and witnessing the impact of genetic risks within my own family, I was inspired to create Gclinics,” she says.
“My own experience spans working with venture-backed start-ups like Sedana Medical and corporate healthcare companies like Abbott Laboratories, where I honed my expertise in molecular diagnostic technologies, medical devices and healthcare compliance.”
Das has previously worked in clinical genetic institutions serving rural parts of India, helping patients with congenital conditions such as thalassemia and autism. She has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization to bring diagnostic devices to the market.
“These experiences have profoundly deepened my understanding of the critical importance of equitable access to genomic information and the need for preventative healthcare. With Gclinics, my vision is to democratise access to genomic services, enabling better informed healthcare decisions and improved patient outcomes.”
The premise for the start-up is that genetic diseases – though many are preventable through early diagnoses – are costing the global economy hundreds of billions. According to Das, clinicians face significant challenges in achieving early and accurate diagnoses because of a “critical shortage” of genetic experts and the “fragmented” nature of patient referral and data systems.
“These obstacles not only delay essential medical investigations but also lead to higher healthcare costs and poorer patient outcomes. Our cloud-based SaaS solution accelerates genetic diagnoses from years to months, reduces healthcare costs and improves patient outcomes through seamless data management and expert analysis,” Das explains.
“Our platform ingests patient digital health data and uses proprietary technology to generate actionable insights in a comprehensive report. Clinicians and diagnostic labs leverage this report to develop personalised healthcare plans for their patients.”
How it’s going
While Gclinics is led by Das, who is the CEO, the founding team is a diverse group of experts, including software developers, geneticists, computational biologists, AI experts and healthcare professionals who were all part of her network. The start-up was founded earlier this year and is headquartered in Dublin.
Das says Gclinics has started collaborating with leading fertility clinics and consultants in Ireland as its clinical partners. The start-up has received support from Enterprise Ireland, NDRC and Dogpatch Labs. Just last month, Gclinics secured Enterprise Ireland’s Pre-Seed Start Fund. Earlier this year, Das was a top-six finalist in the Pitch Perfect Competition sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office.
Gclinics recently also became one of three start-ups to be selected for a new fellowship programme in collaboration with the Fidelity Centre for Applied Technology to be based at Dogpatch Labs that will help them accelerate their “breakthrough” businesses.
Off to a good start, Das is now focused on raising an investment round to launch Gclinics’ product with customers in the EU and the UAE, expand integration with more clinics and grow its team in AI, data science, clinical genetics and full stack development.
“By partnering with clinicians, we aim to establish a strong foundation that will not only enhance our credibility and expertise but also position us to expand into the broader molecular diagnostics market by 2025. Our long-term vision is to become a key player in providing cutting-edge genomic solutions across multiple sectors within healthcare,” she says.
“Ireland has now established itself as a global hub where start-ups can build, validate and scale their ideas effectively, and I am very fortunate to be part of it.”
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