Barça Innovation Hub invests in Made of Genes to develop a cutting-edge biogenetic study with a gender focus

BHH members Barça Innovation Hub (BIHUB) and Made of Genes, the leading company in personalised health molecular studies, team up in a pioneering agreement to co-develop new biomedical intelligence solutions for optimising sports performance, preventing injuries, and managing the health with a gender perspective of elite athletes.

The alliance was announced on the Mobile World Congress last week at the closing session of the Sports Tomorrow Congress with the presence of Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona. On behalf of Made of Genes, its CEO, Oscar Flores; its Vice President of Business Development, Miquel Bru; and its General Director, Laura Isús, participated.

Made of Genes is a company that uses techniques based on artificial intelligence, data sciences, and systems biology to integratively analyse different biological markers such as blood analysis or DNA tests, thereby offering recommendations to improve people's health and well-being. Made of Genes emerged as a spin-off of the company Genomcore, a leader in Spain in the management of biosanitary data for personalised medicine, formed by thirty healthcare professionals, biologists, and engineers.

Optimizing performance and well-being

The aim of this new alliance is to grow this corporation with the help of the assets and services that Barça Innovation Hub can offer. Additionally, pioneering algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence will be co-created globally, targeting high-performance athletes that, for the first time in the market, include a gender perspective covering the specific needs of professional athletes, as well as aspirants seeking to make a quality leap in their sports preparation.

The new study, based on the existing Made of Genes ONE, will integrate biomarkers present in a blood analysis with DNA analysis, as well as other external data from players such as body parameters and biosensor data already collected by the Medical Services of FC Barcelona, such as sleep quality, muscle loads, injuries, etc.

The goal is, therefore, to provide users with a data-driven biomedical intelligence tool that allows optimising sports performance, personalising training and associated recovery periods, or predicting the risk of injuries, among others, as well as generally complementing the guidelines implemented by different technical teams around aspects such as nutrition or emotional well-being.

Made of Genes PERFORMANCE, Performance optimization with a gender perspective

While so far Made of Genes' offer revolved around studying individual biology to promote personalised and data-driven health management, from this agreement, Made of Genes presents its new line "Made of Genes PERFORMANCE," extending its portfolio of solutions to cover the special needs of elite athletes and their physical trainers, with special consideration forthe individualities of female athletes, traditionally underrepresented in scientific studies published up to now.

Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, states that "The entry of Barça Innovation Hub as shareholder of Made of Genes reinforces the Club's pioneering vision to remain at the forefront of acquiring advanced knowledge applied to the world of sports. The alliance with Made of Genes represents a leap forward in the sophistication of studying athletes' genetics and applying artificial intelligence to improve sports performance, with a special focus on women's sports, one of FC Barcelona's main current assets."

Oscar Flores, CEO and co-founder of Made of Genes, shares that "Apart from being a globally recognized brand, FC Barcelona's vision and commitment to biomedical research applied to the world of sports are unparalleled, as demonstrated by initiatives like Sports Tomorrow Congress. It is a privilege for Made of Genes that the Barça Innovation Hub is backing us as the key partner to drive this line forward, which has the potential to become a new standard in the sports world. We are confident that with privileged access to the unique testing facilities offered by FC Barcelona, as well as the club's extensive network of contacts and international influence, we have all the necessary elements to turn this into a reality very soon."