Many biotech labs still rely on spreadsheets, paper notebooks and scattered files. Lab Thread, a Bulgarian-British startup, offers a cloud platform that brings all of that data into one connected system. Its story is a good example of how a narrow but very real pain point becomes a product.
Who is behind Lab Thread
- Dr Ryan Cawood, CEO, a virologist and former Oxford manager, and co-founder of OXGENE.
- Deyan Sultov, CTO, who previously ran the Sofia software company Yarillo.
The structure is typical for projects like this: the UK parent company provides access to Britain's biotech ecosystem, while the Bulgarian subsidiary builds the product.
What the platform solves
When experimental data is scattered, a lab loses its institutional memory and puts its intellectual property at risk. Lab Thread combines an electronic lab notebook (ELN), sample management (LIMS) and tools for DNA design and simulation. The full version launched in May 2026.
The numbers the company reports
- Beta users report saving around 12 hours a week, roughly 30% of their working time.
- Implementation takes 2-4 weeks, compared with months for older enterprise systems.
- The annual subscription is around GBP 600-1,100 per user, with a free tier for small academic teams.
- 27 labs are testing the platform, with more than 150 requests for trial licences. Users include the University of Oxford, Mayo Clinic and UMass Chan Medical School.
- The founders have invested around $1 million of their own money, and in July 2025 the company raised $1 million from Mercia Ventures.
The goal is $5 million in annual revenue within five years, focusing first on the UK and then on Boston and San Francisco.
The lesson for any digital product
Several things about Lab Thread apply well beyond biotech: a clearly defined user, a concrete metric for time saved, and fast implementation. We look for the same in web projects. A website or online system should solve a specific problem, and the result should be measurable. If you have an idea for a digital product, see how we approach custom web solutions and integrations.
Source: Digitalk: Lab Thread, the digital thread of biotech (in Bulgarian). This article is an independent analysis by Penkov Studio.
