VUGENE founder Juozas Gordevičius, who returned to his home country from the U.S. three years ago with the bold vision of establishing a company, is now strengthening its position in the international biotechnology market.
A Passion for Science and Health
From a young age, Gordevičius felt a passion for science and health. While his older siblings became doctors, he pursued computer science. After studying in Italy, he worked as a bioinformatics scientist at universities in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.
“While working at an academic institution in the U.S., I noticed that the work of a bioinformatics scientist in academia is very limited: besides bioinformatics analysis, a single specialist is often responsible for additional tasks like server management and other infrastructure issues, which significantly slow down the research process. I realized that a faster, more efficient process requires a team where competencies and tasks are effectively divided,” recalls the founder.
Thus, in 2021, Gordevičius founded VUGENE, combining expertise in biology, data analysis, and programming. The team’s mission is to contribute to advancements in health-related scientific research.
“The decision to return to Lithuania and start a business here was driven by the desire to create a data analysis service accessible to scientists facing significant challenges in finding data analytics specialists. My main goal was to grow a dynamic company. This vision brought together a talented VUGENE team of specialists and scientists who gained their knowledge at universities in Lithuania and abroad,” says Gordevičius.
A Broad Range of Services for Science
Located in Kaunas and Vilnius, VUGENE offers a wide range of biomedical data analysis services, including data quality control, statistical analysis, and the application of machine learning methods. These advanced solutions help detect new disease markers and address complex biological questions. VUGENE’s solutions ensure that each stage of analysis is traceable and easily reproducible, which is critical for high-quality scientific research.
“As the bioinformatics sector continues to grow globally, we constantly enhance our competencies to exceed client expectations. This ensures VUGENE’s long-term growth and adaptability to new market challenges. Additionally, when working with critical research results, it is vital to ensure their security according to the legal requirements of the respective country, and VUGENE has all the necessary infrastructure for this,” shares the company’s Scientific Project Manager, Karolina Makovskytė.
Lithuanian Bioinformatics on the Global Stage: From the U.S. to Asia
Although VUGENE is based and operates in Lithuania, its services are also provided to international markets, starting with the U.S. According to Gordevičius, connections established across the Atlantic played a significant role in the company’s founding and subsequent expansion.
“One of our main goals is to strengthen VUGENE’s positions in the U.S. and Europe. We also aim to collaborate more actively with the Southeast Asian market in the future. This region is characterized by rapid growth in the life sciences sector and significant investments in innovation and technology, creating a growing demand for bioinformatics services that can increase research efficiency,” says Makovskytė.
Networks and Expertise Driving Growth
To expand exports and improve its operations, VUGENE participated in prestigious exhibitions such as the "Bio International Convention 2024" in San Diego and "Bio Europe" in Stockholm this year. Next year, the company plans to showcase its bioinformatics services and newly developed data analysis platform at 20 international conferences.
Simona Buziliauskienė, Head of the Market Development Department at the Innovation Agency Lithuania, notes that the agency’s initiatives – such as international exhibitions, business missions, and programs like "ExportLAB" and "BrandLAB" – provide comprehensive support for successful business expansion.
“At exhibitions and business missions, companies can present their products, establish strategic partnerships, and discover new export opportunities. Meanwhile, "ExportLAB" helps prepare an export strategy for a chosen market, and "BrandLAB" is designed for companies looking to expand under their own brand. These comprehensive services help Lithuanian companies establish themselves in international markets and become part of global innovations,” says Buziliauskienė.
VUGENE Director Gražina Mykolaitytė highlights the value of the Innovation Agency's Lithuania services.
“Participating in exhibitions alongside other Lithuanian life sciences representatives provided us with additional visibility and helped establish more contacts than participating independently. During the "ExportLAB" program, we identified priority export markets, improved our pricing and marketing message, and clearly defined our value proposition. These changes contribute to sustainable growth and help strengthen our positions in foreign markets,” says Mykolaitytė.
VUGENE’s Future Plans and Investments
Speaking about the future, the company’s founder shared that VUGENE is currently developing a new biomedical data analysis platform that will allow researchers to independently conduct data analysis using VUGENE algorithms.
“This solution will not only increase the accessibility of our services but also enable institutes and companies worldwide to adopt VUGENE’s innovations and best practices more easily. Our goal is to accelerate biological discoveries and innovation development,” explains Gordevičius.
The platform’s development has been supported by the "InoPažanga" program. For its successful expansion, additional investments will be needed to increase its global accessibility.
VUGENE’s success demonstrates that returning scientists and high-level experts who establish businesses in Lithuania contribute to economic growth by creating new jobs, fostering technological development, and sharing knowledge and networks. For professionals considering returning to Lithuania to start a business, Makovskytė advises taking advantage of the benefits offered by an active community, robust infrastructure, and funding opportunities for innovative companies.
