"We are excited that we are taking concrete steps towards offering a plug-and-play IHC workflow solution that includes Lumito’s SCIZYS system and Katana Labs’ cloud-native software for AI-powered image analysis and quantification. This will enable our customers to address challenging research questions with a powerful and integrated solution,” says Sanna Wallenborg, CEO of Lumito.

Lumito and Katana Labs will develop and jointly commercialise an end-to-end, ultra-sensitive immunohistochemistry (IHC) workflow that integrates Lumito’s up-converting nanoparticle (UCNP)-based imaging technology with Katana Labs’ advanced AI-powered image analysis platform. The strategic collaboration aims to deliver a fully integrated ultra-sensitive IHC platform for enhanced tissue analysis and reliable biomarker detection, addressing critical unmet research needs in IHC e.g. the detection and quantification of low/ultralow expressed biomarkers such as HER2. Users can implement the end-to-end workflow in-house or access it as scanning-as-a-service.

“This partnership brings together two highly complementary technologies that, together, redefine what’s possible in reliable and robust biomarker detection. By uniting Lumito’s physical detection sensitivity with Katana Labs’ computational intelligence, we are setting a new benchmark for precision oncology and translational research,” says Dr. Norman Gerstner, Chief Business Officer at Katana Labs.

The LOI precedes a non-exclusive agreement under which both parties will continue their independent commercial activities. At the same time, they will collaborate to further validate and promote their combined end-to-end workflow through co-marketing and joint commercialisation efforts. By presenting each other’s solutions in customer meetings and shared presentations, both companies aim to expand market exposure and provide CRO and biopharma R&D customers with an integrated, all-in-one workflow solution, from labeling kit to scanner and cloud-based image analysis.