NatureにCloud labsということで、Laboratory Automationの紹介記事が出ており、Emerald Cloud Lab社とSynthace社いう2社のスタートアップが紹介されていたので、分析してみました。
Emerald Cloud Lab社の分析は下記です。
www.patent-topics-explorer.com
今回は、2社めのSynthace社をみていこうと思います。
企業名: Synthace Limited Synthace: the Experiment Platform for Intelligent Discovery
創業者: Markus Gershater (Chief Scientific Officer and Cofounder), Sean Ward (ex-Chief Technology Officer and Cofounder - Feb 2019)
CEO: Guy Levy-Yurista (May 2021 - Current)
創業: Jan 2011
HQ: London, England, United Kingdom
売上: $19 million
従業員: 11-50
ステージ: Series C (Total Funding Amount $81M; Series A in Dec 2014/Sep 2017/May2018; Series B in Dec 2018; Series C in Dec 2021)
こんなYouTubeの紹介動画もあります。
動画をみてみると、前回のEmerald Cloud Labは機器を動かすのにコードを書く必要があったようですが、こちらのSynthace社はノーコードで直感的に動かせるようですね。
会社名でザクっと検索すると、特許は下記などがあるようです。
特許出願と、会社の主なアクティビティーを年表化してみると下記のようになるようです。
2011年1月 創業
2014年3月 WO2015148530A1(最先優先日:2014年3月; 出願日: 2015年3月)
Bioprocess method and system: ノーコードプログラミング関係の出願
1 . A method for performing a biological process wherein the method comprises implementation of at least one unit operation, and wherein the unit operation is defined according to a standardised element structure, the element structure comprising a plurality of functional section blocks, and wherein the section blocks comprise at least one of the group consisting of: imports; parameters; data; physical inputs; requirements; setup; and execution steps.
ファミリー: 欧州、米国、中国
発明者: Michael Ian SADOWSKI, Sean Michael WARD
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/b0/0d/46/96cf0267df92ad/US9977862.pdf
2014年3月 WO2015148526A1(最先優先日:2014年3月; 出願日: 2015年3月)
Multifactorial process optimisation method and system: アッセイプロセスを向上させる方法
1 . A method for increasing process performance in a biological process comprising at least one process step, the method comprising:
(a) an identification phase, in which at least seven factors are identified, wherein a factor is defined as a feature of or within a process that when modified will affect the performance of the process, and wherein the factors are selected from at least two process factors and at least two genetic factors;
(b) a factor screening phase, in which individual and combined contributions to process performance of each of the at least seven factors as described in (a) are determined, such that the presence of multifactorial interactions might be identified; and
(c) a refinement phase, in which interactions that result in an increase in process performance between the at least seven factors are identified and tested.
ファミリー: 欧州、米国、中国
発明者: Markus Christian GERSHATER, Sean Michael WARD, Michael Ian SADOWSKI, Christopher Richard GRANT
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/64/2e/c3/b1070315445e8d/US10590494.pdf
2014年3月 WO2015148539A1(最先優先日:2014年3月; 出願日: 2015年3月)
Multifactorial process optimisation method and system: ユーザーが入力したアッセイプロセスのスコアリング
1. A method for scoring a unit operation comprised within a biological process undertaken by a user, the method comprising:
(a) a recording step in which the user records a score associated with an instance of use of the unit operation within a database, wherein the context of the use is recorded along with the score, and wherein the context is defined as the value of at least one factor that is deemed to affect the performance of the unit operation within the biological process; and
(b) a retrieval step, in which the user specifies a proposed unit operation, and a proposed context for an intended use as a query within the database, and a score for relevant recorded unit operations is provided, wherein relevance of recorded scores is determined at least partially based on similarity between the context of the intended use and the context of the recorded use.
ファミリー: 欧州、米国、中国
発明者: Markus Christian GERSHATER, Sean Michael WARD, Michael Ian SADOWSKI, Christopher Richard GRANT
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/96/9f/02/0d3542ac2c6e55/US10100375.pdf
2014年12月 Series A
2017年9月 Series A
2018年5月 Series A
2018年12月 Series B
2019年12月 WO2021136932A1(最先優先日:2019年12月; 出願日: 2020年12月)
Systems and methods for improved automation of laboratory processes: 自動化されたセットアップ内の多数の液体(ピペッティング)処理を迅速に評価・改良する方法
1 . A computer implemented method for improving the process performance of an automated laboratory protocol, at least a part of which protocol requires at least one liquid handling step that is performed by using a liquid handling apparatus under the operative control of a processor, the method comprising:
i. defining at least one liquid handling step in the protocol that comprises a liquid handling operation;
ii. selecting at least a first and at least a second process factors for the at least one liquid handling step in the protocol, wherein the first and second process factors are different and are selected from the group consisting of: an equipment process factor; a liquid process factor; and a protocol process factor;
iii. assigning parameter variations for the first and second process factors selected for investigation;
iv. performing a plurality of test runs on the liquid handling apparatus to determine the effects of the parameter variations for the first and second process factors;
v. analysing the results of the plurality of test runs to identify the one or more test runs that show optimal process performance; and
vi. amending the automated laboratory protocol to improve process performance of the liquid handling apparatus.
ファミリー: 国際段階
発明者: Markus GERSHATER, Vishal SANCHANIA
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/61/29/ff/fa298941354154/WO2021136932A1.pdf
2021年12月 Series C
特徴的なのは、Series Aのラウンド前に自社の基盤技術の特許をしっかりと出願しているところがあります。同日に3件の出願をしており、意図された出願であることがうかがわれます。ソフトウェア系のスタートアップの出願戦略はイギリスの方がしっかりしてそうな例も散見されるので面白いところです。
また、Emerald社と異なり、Series A後も出願をしており(特許の図面は会社の紹介動画でも出てくる図ですかね？)、より出願戦略を重視していそうです。
Emerald社は自社で研究設備まで持つのに対し、Synthace社はソフトウェアの提供にとどまる場合もあるようなので、こちらも出願戦略の違いに関わっているのかもしれません。
