Helping companies and governments to investigate and respond to food-related safety problems is a vital mission in today’s increasingly interconnected world. That’s why we’re delighted to announce our investment in Clear Labs, the world’s first food analytics platform for retailers and manufacturers.
Food quality scandals and product recalls are costing companies billions of dollars every year. The platform that Clear Labs has developed helps its customers to determine the objective quality and safety of their food products, as well as to assess and reduce the risks of contamination and recalls. It also enables them to streamline their food safety programs, and to eliminate blind spots in their supply chains.
Clear Labs is a great example of a "Data-First" company that meshes advanced genomics with data science. It uses proprietary Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques in its tests, and its analytics pipeline translates these tests into actionable intelligence for food brands. The NGS workflow is built on the company’s proprietary molecular food database, which is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the world.
Clear Labs has already developed impressive customer traction, and its new $13m funding round, which Wing led, will allow it to expand its team, accelerate the licensing of its technology to third-party laboratories, and develop its portfolio of tests. In addition to verifying food safety, Clear Labs also helps companies in other ways, such as offering a universal test that identifies whether GMOs are present in food.
I’ve been hugely impressed with the co-founders of Clear Labs, Sasan Amini and Mahni Ghorashi, and with the team of software engineers, genomic scientists and food-industry experts they’ve built. The advances they have made have also impressed a wide range of eminent experts in the genomics and food safety fields, including Mostafa Ronaghi, the CTO of Illumina and a Clear Labs board member, and Michael Taylor, former Food and Drug Administration deputy director for foods and veterinary medicine, who is joining the Clear Labs board.
I’m excited to serve alongside Michael, Mostafa and the other directors at Clear Labs as we help the company advance its mission of improving the safety of the world’s food supply.
