Meet GenomSys CEO Alessio Ascari and find out how he democratizes genomic analysis

08.06.2021 17:05, Isabelle Mitchell

Venture Leader Mobile GenomSys develops technology that makes personalized medicine more accessible by allowing everybody to access their genomic data, store it safely on their smartphone, order analyses, read the results, and share them with their doctor. Learn more about Alessio’s expectations for the Venture Leaders Mobile experience and find out more about this passion for balancing stability and innovation, pushing boundaries at the right time, and finding real Greek yogurt.

The Venture Leaders Mobile 2021 will accelerate their expansion into the global market and strengthen their business network by attending the Mobile World Congress 2021 in Barcelona, Spain, to meet with top-notch investors and industry leaders. To introduce you to the members of the Swiss National Startup Team, we asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose six questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life.

Name: Alessio Ascari 
Location: Lausanne and Lugano 
Nationality: Italian
Graduated from: Polytechnic of Milan, MSc Engineering, 1990 and INSEAD, MBA, 1994 (Henry Ford Prize) 
Your job title: CEO of GenomSys
Number of employees: 18 (as of 04/2021) 
Money raised: CHF11,500,000 (as of 04/2021) 
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Recommendation by one of our investors (2021) 
  
“GenomSys provides individuals with a mobile genomics app for maximum privacy and convenience: Thanks to the MPEG-G international digital genomic standard, the GenomYou app stores sequenced DNA and directly requests and runs genomic analyses as legally allowed.”
 
How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
The original idea wasn’t mine: The company was created five years ago. GenomSys aims to remove barriers to widespread genomic usage by developing a new digital standard for genomic data representation. This helps overcome all limitations of alphanumeric, not formally standardized legacy formats currently in use. I came on board last year to further develop and accelerate the vision of mobile, personalized genomics and leverage the smartphone to solve the individuals’ needs of privacy and convenience.
 
What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
We expect the Venture Leaders roadshow to make people aware of how close we are to turning our vision into reality. We also want to facilitate networking and explore potential partnership opportunities, particularly for Asian markets. It will also be a great opportunity to reality-prove the intended customer value proposition and our equity story for our upcoming fundraising and engage with potential new investors directly. 
 
What would be the title of your biography? 
Seeking change and innovation while keeping my confidence and a stable, safe anchor. I’ve always explored change and innovation in my life: After I graduated, I left Italy to work as a consultant in the USA—without knowing anyone there and without having ever lived by myself. When I worked at McKinsey, I was engaging and serving clients in emerging markets and launching new initiatives on mHealth. And when I left McKinsey, I launched a digital health startup. I have done all of these things with the confidence to learn and deliver value and keep a stable “home” to return to whenever I wanted. 
 
What is always in your fridge? 
Real Greek yogurt—I love yogurt, but I developed a mild yet growing lactose intolerance. Real Greek yogurt is the only yogurt I can safely eat at will, given the low lactose and high protein content. “Real” as in “made in Greece,” with high protein and low fat, not “à la grecque” as in “made in Switzerland with super high added fat.” It’s important to check the label.
 
What are you most proud of? 
My 21-month-old child—my newest change and innovation, a fantastic experience I have never had before, challenging and tiring but extremely rewarding. 
 
Where and when are you most productive? 
Early mornings and late afternoons. Either with an entirely fresh mind in the morning, which is ideal for creativity or structuring a new thought, business plan, or proposal; or fully charged up in the late afternoon, which is perfect for working fast and focused after thinking through the details. In both cases with limited risk for interruption: Ideally, with the phone on silent mode and never looking at emails until finished. As for the location: at home, if I need to work by myself, or in a team room with a whiteboard with three to four people to problem-solve together.
 
What do you do when you are creatively stuck? 
Possibly go out for a walk or, when was it allowed and safe, organize to go skiing to refresh and detach your mind. You’ll get the idea that was escaping you while not thinking about it at all. 
 
What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder? 
I’ve been a founder, even if not in my current company. The most challenging aspects are always being on the fundraising trail, listening to the current investors’ wisdom while trying to deliver your dream, and understanding when it is time to give up on a path or the whole idea if you’re not getting what you expected. Nothing will happen without you keeping on pushing. Nothing has been done without overcoming bad times, obstacles, and “unbelievers”; however, it’s just as right to pivot in a slightly different direction or even close up shop before it’s too late or when you realize you are ahead of your time or have been proven wrong.

Last but not least, could you show us your workspace? 
The pandemic makes it challenging to get everyone together, but here is a picture of the GenomSys team: 


For more information and updates on GenomSys and the Venture Leaders Mobile, follow the Venture Leaders Mobile 2021 team with #VleadersMobile on social media or subscribe to our newsletter. 
 
This year's Venture Leaders Mobile program is supported by Huawei, Swisscom, and VISCHER.