AI-based rare disease diagnostics company 3billion said Sept. 9 that it is accelerating its market expansion by strengthening the reliability and accessibility of its SaaS-based AI genetic variant interpretation platform, ZEBRA.
ZEBRA is a cloud-based software platform that enables medical and testing institutions to directly analyze and interpret genomic data. It provides key steps in genomic analysis, from variant detection to final report generation, within a single environment.
According to 3billion’s internal evaluation, the time required for variant interpretation and report writing, which averaged about 120 minutes when performed directly by experts, was reduced to about 5 minutes with ZEBRA, cutting the time by as much as 24 times.
Since its launch last year, ZEBRA has been commercially adopted by major medical and research institutions in South Korea, including Seoul National University and Catholic University Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, as well as global institutions such as the National University of Singapore, National Taiwan University Hospital and Mohammed VI International University Hospital in Morocco. In addition, medical and research institutions in about 30 countries, including the U.S., Austria and Saudi Arabia, are either using ZEBRA or evaluating it for adoption.
As ZEBRA adoption expands in South Korea and overseas, 3billion has moved to strengthen the platform’s service stability. ZEBRA passed Amazon Web Services’ FTR and earned AWS Qualified Software status.
FTR is a technical validation program that reviews the security, stability and operational systems of software built on AWS. 3billion plans to manage its cloud operating environment in a stable manner suited to the characteristics of a service that handles patient genomic data.
The company also updated its online demo environment this month so medical professionals can directly assess ZEBRA’s analytical performance. Previously, users were required to apply for a separate account, but they can now immediately experience the actual analysis interface and key features through the website.
In addition, 3billion plans to expand its online webinar program for medical professionals and genomic analysis experts in South Korea and overseas. By introducing real-world genetic variant interpretation cases and ways to use ZEBRA, the company plans to encourage medical professionals to adopt the platform and convert that interest into new customers.
“Technology is important, but the trust of medical professionals and their user experience are also critical for AI-based genetic variant interpretation software to be widely used in clinical settings,” said Keum Chang-won, CEO of 3billion. “We will expand our points of contact in global markets so that more medical professionals can use ZEBRA in actual diagnoses and turn that into tangible customer growth.”
Meanwhile, 3billion is an AI-based rare disease genetic diagnostics company founded in 2016 that provides diagnostic services by analyzing patients’ genomic data to identify genetic variants suspected of causing disease. Its main businesses include rare disease genetic testing based on whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). The company was listed on the KOSDAQ market in November 2024.
