Owkin and Finnish Biobanks collaborate to advance medical research
Owkin, the first end-to-end AI-BioTech unicorn startup that provides best-in-class AI-driven precision drug discovery, development, and diagnostics, and Finnish Biobank Cooperative – FINBB are pleased to announce their collaboration to advance medical research.
Agathe Arlotti, SVP of Partnerships at Owkin, said:
We are excited to work with FINBB to advance medical research and apply AI to multimodal patient data. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to improving patients' lives. By combining our expertise and resources, we aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative treatments.
FINBB offers the Fingenious® service, a digital one-stop-shop that enables access to millions of patient samples, clinical data, biodata and patient recruitment to different studies in accordance with the Finnish Biobank Act.
Marco Hautalahti, CEO of FINBB, said:
Public-private partnership with R&D-focused innovative companies like Owkin has the potential to develop innovations and benefit patients suffering from devastating diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We are very excited about our new and meaningful collaboration and making things happen in practise.
This is the first collaboration between Owkin and Finnish Biobanks. The first research project, focusing on IBD, is already underway. Owkin embraces this new opportunity to leverage the advantages offered by FINBB. This partnership is expected to streamline and harmonize processes, making it easier to utilize biobank samples and data effectively.
The collaboration includes access to the collection of 11 million biobank samples, biodata, and study participant recruitment from all public biobanks in Finland: Arctic Biobank, Auria Biobank, Biobank Borealis, Biobank of Central Finland, Biobank of Eastern Finland, Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere, Helsinki Biobank, and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) Biobank.
The first-in-class digital Fingenious® service will deliver all the results. The data generated in the projects will be returned to the biobanks to increase the collections and bring value back to patients and the healthcare system.
About FINBB
Finnish Biobank Cooperative – FINBB is a biobank cooperative founded and owned by Finland’s six largest hospital districts and universities and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). All public Finnish biobanks are members of FINBB. FINBB coordinates the operations of the biobank network in Finland and aims to create an internationally advanced biobank infrastructure. FINBB has a significant role in the implementation and internationalization of the Finnish National Health Sector Growth Strategy. FINBB’s Fingenious® service is the digital gateway to Finnish biobanks and biomedical research.
About Owkin
Owkin is the first full-stack TechBio company on a mission to understand complex biology and derive new multimodal biomarkers through AI.
We identify precision therapeutics, de-risk and accelerate clinical trials and develop diagnostics using AI trained on world-class patient data through privacy-enhancing technologies. We merge wet lab experiments with advanced AI techniques to create a powerful feedback loop for accelerated discovery and innovation in oncology, cardiovascular, immunity and inflammation.
Owkin also founded MOSAIC, the world’s largest spatial multi-omics atlas for cancer research across seven cancer indications.
Owkin has raised over $300 million through investments from leading biopharma companies, including Sanofi and BMS, and venture funds like F-Prime, GV and Bpifrance, among others.
