The startup founder

Felix Neumann, CEO, Countagen. Photo: Alexandra Hoegberg

Felix Neumann is CEO and co-founder of Countagen, a Solna-based startup that has spun out from SciLifeLab. The company’s mission is to remove a critical bottleneck in cell and gene therapy development: scalable, reliable gene-edit characterization.

Its LockSeq technology was built to reduce genomic blind spots caused by target dropout, amplification-related bias, and sequencing noise.

Why are you attending NLSDays?

“I’m here to meet investors, and potential clients and collaborators. For example, I’m interested to learn more from the Korean delegation – I know they have assets we’re really interested in, and that they’re looking to collaborate with startups in the gene-editing space.”

It took a bit of time to understand the partnering platform, because that’s really where a lot of the value is here.

“Tomorrow, as one of the Nordic Life Science finalists, we’ll pitch our company on stage. We want to use it to get our name and our offering out there, and hopefully follow up with some conversations afterward. This is our second time at NLSDays – we pitched last time too, actually, and that’s how we first came across the event. It took a bit of time to understand the partnering platform, because that’s really where a lot of the value is here. I’m using it again this year, and it’s working really well.”

The international exhibitor

Gavin Hackett is senior associate at the patent and trademark attorney firm Abel + Imray and part of the United Kingdom pavilion at NLSDays. Abel + Imray advises and represents clients on all aspects of patent, trademark, and design law in the UK, Europe, and around the world.

Why are you attending NLSDays?

“We’re here to get to know more people in life sciences in the Nordic region. We’ve already got clients that are life science companies in this area, and there’s a lot of good science being done here.”

It’s a good place to see everyone we know in one spot.

“Honestly, I think a big part of why it’s important to be here is meeting the people we already know, since most of them come too – it’s quite a big conference. So it’s a good place to see everyone we know in one spot. And if we meet new people along the way, that’s a bonus.”

The ecosystem builder

Natascha Banks is cluster manager at the Flemingsberg Science Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to develop Flemingsberg into one of Sweden’s most significant centers for education, research, and creativity.

Why are you attending NLSDays?

“We want to show a common force from Stockholm and Uppsala together, because NLSDays is more than just a conference – it’s a chance to show the world what Sweden can offer, and what strength we bring when we work together. This year, Flemingsberg Science is part of Capital of Life, representing the Stockholm-Uppsala life science ecosystem as one. For me personally, this is the most important part – the cluster work. We have incredible science, companies, hospitals, infrastructure, and talent, but the real value comes when they’re all connected. In Flemingsberg, we do this every day, trying to bring the different parts together – academia, industry, and healthcare. Maybe that’s where innovation happens: at the intersection of all of these.”

It’s a chance to show the world what Sweden can offer, and what strength we bring when we work together.

“Since I keep coming back to NLSDays, and since we’re part of this big ecosystem, it feels like coming home – like a familiar party, seeing all the familiar faces. But there are also plenty of opportunities to meet new people. I really love the session where the startups pitch – it’s always interesting to see how they present, and to discover the new companies here. The feedback and questions from the judges are valuable too, because they help each company think about what to prepare for next time. It’s very useful for me, personally.”