US group Agilent enters EPFL Innovation Park by acquiring Genohm

Genohm’s leading product is SLIMS, a digital platform that facilitates laboratory management through a customizable interface and cloud data storage. The company was created in Belgium in 2002 and then re-founded at EPFL Innovation Park in 2011 as a startup.

Genohm caught the attention of Agilent Technologies Inc., a US-based life sciences group that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has 14,200 employees worldwide. Agilent announced today that it would acquire Genohm for an undisclosed amount.

“With this acquisition, and Agilent’s intention to maintain or even expand the Lausanne-based workforce, we have managed to bring a major player in life sciences and biotechnology to the EPFL campus,” says Frederik Decouttere, co-founder and CEO of Genohm. He also points out that this is an example of a successful startup exit that could serve as a model for other up-and-coming businesses in the local ecosystem.

Pool of talents

Given that 90% of Genohm’s employees in Switzerland graduated from EPFL as life sciences or systems engineers, it is no surprise that biotech companies are drawn to EPFL Innovation Park. “For Agilent, this talent pool – which also provides us with well-qualified interns – is a real advantage,” adds Decouttere.

For life sciences and biotech researchers, Genohm's SLIMS software suite serves as an information management system and lab notebook. It keeps track of data, samples, tests and users, and its wide range of cutting-edge features include ongoing analytics. Several research units at EPFL have already integrated this platform into their day-to-day operations.

For more information, please refer to the Agilent Technologies press release.