countagen.com

What It Is

Countagen AB is a life sciences company based in Solna, Sweden, within the Karolinska Institutet / SciLifeLab ecosystem. Its core product, LockSeq, is not a typical enterprise SaaS offering, but an end-to-end off-target confirmation service for gene editing projects: customers provide genomic coordinates and DNA samples, and Countagen handles probe design, library preparation, sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and returns a UMI-corrected variant report within 15 business days.

Core Capabilities

LockSeq emphasizes high throughput and a low risk of missed off-target events. According to the website, it can run 1 to 1,000+ loci in a single standardized reaction, achieves sensitivity down to 0.1% VAF, and reduces sequencing noise and false positives through gap-fill ligation, padlock probes, and UMI consensus. Its panel design supports “mix-and-match,” allowing new coordinates to be added later without large-scale redesign as required by multiplex PCR. Deliverables include a comprehensive variant analysis report, raw FASTQ data, and UMI-corrected BAM files.

Pricing and Delivery

Pricing is not publicly disclosed and follows a Request a Quote model. The website also highlights that it is currently recruiting academic and industry partners for its Pilot / Early Access Program. The service model is DNA-in to report-out, so customers do not need their own sequencers, bioinformatics team, or complex optimization workflows. The standard turnaround time is 15 business days after samples arrive at the Solna laboratory.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is its clear positioning: it is well suited for orthogonal off-target confirmation in gene editing. It supports systems such as Cas9, Base editor, Prime editor, and Transposon, and is compatible with Illumina and Oxford Nanopore, while in principle supporting multiple types of sequencing platforms. Limitations include the lack of disclosed pricing, quality system details, data security compliance certifications, and no visible mention of SaaS capabilities such as APIs, team permissions, or a cloud platform. For teams in China, cross-border shipment of DNA samples may also involve logistics and compliance costs.

Who It’s For and Access from China

Countagen is better suited for cell and gene therapy companies, gene editing R&D teams, and academic or industry organizations that need IND-supporting off-target confirmation data. If you are looking for general-purpose enterprise software or a cloud-based data platform, Countagen is not a good match. Access from mainland China cannot be determined from the available text and is marked as unknown.