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Ultima Genomics launches paired-end sequencing and a $60 genome

Ultima Genomics launches paired-end sequencing and a $60 genome

New Capabilities

Paired-end reads and 20-billion-read wafers double throughput on the UG200, and Ultima puts the genome at $60 — a figure it has not broken down

November 2nd, 2026: Singapore selects Ultima for precision medicine Phase III

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Ultima Genomics says it can sequence a human genome for $60, down from the $100 it advertised in 2022. The cut comes from paired-end reads and new Solaris 2.0 Max wafers that yield up to 20 billion reads each, announced at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting in October.

Throughput matters as much as price. A single UG200 Ultra, which runs two wafers, can produce as many as 60,000 30x genomes a year, putting a 100,000-person cohort at $6 million at the advertised rate. Ultima has not said what the $60 covers beyond the sequencing run itself.

Why it matters

At Ultima's advertised $60, a 100,000-person study costs $6 million in sequencing, low enough to bring cohorts that were priced out into reach.

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Key Indicators

$60
Advertised cost per 30x human genome
Company figure for a 30x genome. Ultima has not said what the figure covers beyond the sequencing run.
20B
Reads per Solaris 2.0 Max wafer
Double the 10 billion reads of the earlier Solaris 2.0 workflow.
60,000
30x genomes per year on one UG200 Ultra
Company figure for a dual-wafer instrument running continuously.
10B
Reads per wafer on the earlier Solaris 2.0 workflow
The configuration Ultima says it will keep supporting alongside the new 20-billion-read wafers.

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People Involved

GA
Gilad Almogy
Founder and chief executive, Ultima Genomics
Leading the company through commercial rollout of paired-end sequencing
 David Schlesinger
David Schlesinger
Chief executive and co-founder, Mendelics
Evaluating Ultima's paired-end chemistry for clinical germline testing
 Ajamete Kaykas
Ajamete Kaykas
Chief exploration officer, Insitro
Running large cellular screens on Ultima chemistry

Organizations Involved

Ultima Genomics
Ultima Genomics
Sequencing technology company
Selling the UG200 series with paired-end chemistry and Solaris 2.0 Max consumables

A sequencing company competing on price per genome rather than read length or accuracy alone.
Mendelics
Mendelics
Clinical genetics laboratory
Early-access evaluator of Ultima paired-end chemistry

A clinical laboratory that tests whether inexpensive short-read chemistry is good enough for diagnostic germline sequencing.
Insitro
Insitro
Drug discovery company
Using Ultima chemistry for high-volume cellular screens

A machine-learning drug discovery company that buys sequencing by the read rather than by the genome.

Timeline

2022 2027

7 events Latest: November 2nd, 2026 · 1 week ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Smaller wafer configurations planned

    Upcoming Roadmap

    Ultima says 5 billion and 10 billion read wafers will arrive in early 2027.

  2. Singapore selects Ultima for precision medicine Phase III

    Latest Contract

    Singapore's Phase III precision medicine program, covering about 450,000 people, picks Ultima's UG200 platform with partners Lucence and QIAGEN. Contract value was not disclosed.

  3. Paired-end sequencing and Solaris 2.0 Max launch

    Product launch

    Announced at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting: 20 billion reads per wafer and paired-end reads bring the advertised genome to $60.

  4. UG200 series announced

    Product launch

    New instrument generation; Solaris 2.0 Max and paired-end sequencing promised for later in 2026.

  5. UG 100 Solaris cuts price to $80

    Product launch

    Output rises to 10 to 12 billion reads per wafer and annual capacity passes 30,000 genomes.

  6. UG 100 ships

    Product launch

    First commercial instrument: 6 to 8 billion reads per wafer, $100 genome, about 20,000 genomes a year.

  7. Ultima announces a $100 genome

    Product claim

    The company pitches silicon-wafer sequencing at a fraction of prevailing per-genome prices.

Scenarios

1

A clinical lab launches a germline test on Ultima chemistry

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Ultima and early-access partner Mendelics

Mendelics says it has found regions where paired-end reads beat other approaches, but it has not shipped a test. If the lab publishes validation data and puts a whole-genome germline test on its menu, the $60 consumable becomes a clinical product rather than a research price. Without that step, the discount stays confined to research cohorts.

2

Smaller wafers ship, opening the platform to mid-size labs

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Ultima's own product roadmap

Twenty billion reads per wafer only suits buyers running tens of thousands of samples. Ultima says 5 billion and 10 billion read configurations arrive in early 2027, which would let smaller labs buy capacity in units closer to their workload. A slipped date keeps the platform aimed at the largest programs only.

3

A national biobank signs with Ultima

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Trade press coverage of the Singapore selection

Ultima has one flagship public win, Singapore's national precision medicine program, and a supporting role in a Mayo Clinic and Thermo Fisher initiative. A second large national program in the United States or Europe would confirm that the price holds up in competitive procurement. The trigger is a disclosed contract, not a pilot.

4

A competitor answers with a sub-$100 list price

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Industry analysts covering sequencing pricing

Ultima's price only changes the market if rivals respond. A published per-genome consumables price at or below $100 from another short-read vendor would show the $60 claim has moved list prices across the industry. If competitors hold their prices, Ultima's advantage is real but its market stays narrow.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

January 2014

Illumina HiSeq X Ten (2014)

Illumina began selling a sequencing system only as a fleet of ten machines, aimed at buyers who needed thousands of genomes rather than dozens. The launch was tied to a $1,000 genome, a threshold that had been a target for years.

Then

Large genomics centers and the first national sequencing programs standardized on the fleet.

Now

Population biobanks became practical, and capacity planning replaced cost as the binding constraint for big studies.

Why this matters now

Ultima is making the same trade: a per-genome price low enough that buyers plan around throughput, sold as a machine built for cohorts rather than for individual labs.

2010-2013

Complete Genomics and BGI (2010-2013)

Complete Genomics sold human genome sequencing as a service at prices below what instrument-based labs charged, went public in 2010, and struggled to convert volume into profit.

Then

BGI acquired the company in 2013.

Now

BGI used the technology to build its own line of short-read sequencers, becoming the main alternative supplier to Illumina.

Why this matters now

Cheap sequencing on its own did not sustain a business. The buyer that won owned both the instruments and the analysis pipeline, which is the position Ultima is trying to reach.

Sources

(10)
+4
Clinical Lab Products PR Newswire Ultima Genomics AristoBrain Life Science Blog AInvest Albert Vilella, Substack VE1 Advisory PR Newswire PR Newswire Ultima Genomics