LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RainDance Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of microdroplet-based single molecule and single cell analysis solutions, today announced the appointment of Andy Watson to its executive leadership team as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Mr. Watson will lead the company’s global marketing and strategy efforts to grow the current commercial targeted sequencing business and prepare the market for the launch of its digital PCR and single cell analysis products. Mr. Watson will also support business development activities and report directly to RainDance President and CEO, Roopom Banerjee.
Mr. Watson has more than 20 years of experience in developing and commercializing innovative genomics technologies. He joins RainDance from Life Technologies where he was most recently Vice President, SOLiD Sequencing Product Management. In this role, Mr. Watson was responsible for business strategy, marketing and product management for all SOLiD sequencing, as well as single-molecule DNA sequencing systems and applications. Previously, he led Applied Biosystems’ (now part of Life Technologies) capillary electrophoresis (CE) sequencing business, including instruments, reagents, and software. Mr. Watson played a key role in several acquisitions, including the SOLiD and Ion Torrent sequencing technologies.
“We have achieved several important milestones in 2011 including significantly strengthening our executive team, closing a $37.5 million financing round, and successfully introducing a portfolio of comprehensive genetic screening research panels,” said Mr. Banerjee. “Andy is a highly respected industry veteran who brings deep domain knowledge in life science tools and a passion for customer-driven innovation. His track record of leadership in next-generation sequencing will enable us to accelerate our commercial expansion and time to market for these exciting new technologies.”
Before joining Applied Biosystems, Mr. Watson was a founder of Quantum Dot Corporation (acquired by Invitrogen) where he held executive technical and business management roles. He also led the development of technologies and software for large scale DNA analysis at Sequana Therapeutics (acquired by Celera) and at The Sanger Centre, where he founded and chaired the first genome technologies conference (now a part of AGBT). Mr. Watson has been the principal investigator on competitive federal grants worth over $10 million and is an inventor on more than 25 issued patents and applications. He is a regular speaker at leading industry and scientific meetings and is the author of 10 scientific publications on genomics, genetics, cell analysis and robotics. He holds M.Eng., M.A., and B.A. degrees from King’s College, Cambridge University, England.
"RainDance is at an exciting inflection point in its commercial evolution, and its products are well on their way to becoming enduring medical research solutions that will further advance the performance levels and economics necessary to realize the promise of genomics,” added Mr. Watson. “I am excited to join such a talented team and look forward to working closely with my new colleagues to drive global adoption of existing targeted sequencing applications and on the roll out of our digital PCR and single cell analysis solutions.”
For more information about RainDance, please visit www.RainDanceTech.com.
About RainDance Technologies
RainDance Technologies is pioneering the use of high-throughput microdroplet-based analysis in human health and life science research. The company's core RainStorm™ technology generates millions of discrete droplets that can encapsulate a single molecule, cell or reaction and be digitally analyzed and sorted one at a time. The power, precision and simplicity of microdroplets enable researchers to answer complex questions with unprecedented sensitivity and quantification. The complete RainDance solution includes automated instrumentation, customizable bioinformatics and high-value consumables and reagents for applications including targeted next-generation DNA sequencing, methylation, digital PCR and single cell analysis. Based in Lexington, Massachusetts, the company supports scientists around the world through its international sales and support operations and a global network of distributors and service providers. For more information, please visit www.RainDanceTech.com.
RainDance Technologies and RainStorm are trademarks of RainDance Technologies, Inc.