Qlucore Celebrates 10 Years

Qlucore’s first version of its data visualization software was launched on 10th October 2007, but six years of extensive research had preceded this. In 2001, two professors from Lund University in Sweden, Thoas Fioretos and Magnus Fontes, were facing challenges in their research due to the ever-increasing quantity of data. At that time solutions were based on advanced statistical analysis not accessible for researchers with a biological background but the domain of specialist information statisticians. Together they worked to find a solution to the analysis challenge. Their main objective was a visualization based solution, making the data analysis process easier and more user friendly.

Their ideas needed to be turned into a complete software solution, work that was started by Johan Råde, a mathematician with experience of commercial software development, and in 2007, the first version of the program was ready. Qlucore’s software combined powerful statistical methods with real time visualization. This shortened analysis time, added more creativity to the research process, and facilitated easier and better collaboration between biologists and bioinformaticians. Now known as Qlucore Omics Explorer, the software makes it possible to interactively explore and analyze multivariate data sets, from small to very large as well as data generated with NGS technologies.

In 2007, co-founder Carl-Johan Ivarsson began commercialization of the software, and Qlucore has grown a profitable company headquartered in Lund, Sweden. Qlucore Omics Explorer is now in its ninth iteration, and is sold in over 25 countries to many user groups and clients over a wide range of application areas. Qlucore is regularly cited in leading international scientific magazines when customers publish new results.

Commenting on the anniversary, Carl-Johan Ivarsson said, “We are very proud of our development and that our clients continue to find Qlucore software invaluable, by assisting them in making new scientific discoveries.”

The last decade has seen Qlucore’s client base grow extensively, with many agreements with agents around the world. Some milestones include:

• 2007: The first version of the program launches
• 2009/16: Distribution agreements with specialist distribution partners: India, China, Japan, Ireland, Spain, Italy, South Africa, South Korea and Malaysia
• 2013: Grant awarded by VINNOVA, Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation, and funding from the European Commission
• 2014: Qlucore Inc. established in the United States,
• 2015: Launch of Mac version of Qlucore Omics Explorer
• 2017: Qlucore Omics Explorer 3.3 launched with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Module