Who is MGI

1. Founded in 2016, MGI is an independent, privately-held company. We maintains our own governance structure, operations and resources. We also comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the US and any market in which we operate.
2. We are a producer and supplier of core tools and technologies that enable customers and partners to conduct scientific and clinical research and make discoveries. MGI attaches great importance to data security and privacy through strong internal practices and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
3. We do not have access to, collect, or maintain patient genetic data, and our customers retain full control over any data they generate.

2670
Employees
100
Countries and regions
3,000+
Customers
9,400+
Scientific papers published based on MGI’s core
DNBSEQ technology
10+
Customers Experience Center
London(UK), Brisbane(Australia), Beijing(China), Wuhan(China), HongKong(China), Berlin(Germany), Tokyo(Japan), Seoul(Korea), Boston(US), Sao Paulo(Brazil)
Innovation
MGI places a strong emphasis on the importance of innovation as well as R&D within our organization.


As of June 30, 2024, MGI has more than 2,670 employees,
and 32.16%of whom are R&D personnel.

Educational background of R&D employees
PhD: 14.32%
Master’s degree: 46.22%
Bachelor’s degree: 38.07%
No degree: 1.3%
MGI has made substantial investments in acquiring and protecting intellectual property.
In 2023, the company applied for 461 new innovation and software patents, granted a total of 283. The patents cover the research and development of core raw materials, key components, key process breakthroughs, major field expansion, artificial intelligence algorithms, etc. 

 "An optical system for gene sequencer" (Patent No. ZL201720333150.3) received The 24th China Patent Gold Award, which is the first patent in the gene sequencing industry to win the gold medal.
MGI has accumulated a total of 329 certifications, including NMPA, CE, CB, NRTL, EAC, and others. These certifications span multiple countries and regions, including the European Union, Asia-Pacific.

329 Certifications
China:National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)
International Certification: CE, CB, cTUVus, and EAC recognized by most countries in Asia Pacific, EU, America, Russia, and Central Asia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Africa.

International Standards
ISO13485 :2016 Medical Device Quality Management System;
ISO9001 : 2015 Quality Management System;
IECQ QC080000 : 2017 Hazardous Substances Process Management System;
MDSAP Medical Device Single Audit Program;
ISO14001 : 2015 Environmental Management System;
ISO45001 : 2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System;
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3;
ISO 27001: 2013 Information Security Management Systems;
ISO 14067: 2018 Greenhouse Gases - Carbon Footprint of Products Quantification;
ISO 27001:2019 Information Security Management System
ISO 20000:2018TUV Information Technology Service Management System
ITSS.1-2015 Information Technology Service Standard Qualification
MGI wins several innovation awards including:

BEYOND Healthcare Innovation Award 2023,
R&D 100 Awards 2023 from R&D World Magazine,
2023 Globee® Awards for Medical Equipment,
Edison Award 2024,
GHP’s Biotechnology Awards 2024 as the Most Innovative Next-Gen Sequencing Company,

all standing as testaments to MGI innovative sequencing technologies and enduring impact on the industry.
Data Security
The information security of gene sequencer is of top priority for life science and biotechnology companies around the world. As a leading player in the life science industry, MGI puts information security in the first place to ensure that our customers can use MGI’s sequencing products in a safer and securer way.
Data Access
As an equipment vendor, MGI’s business does not involve any direct data collection. All data on our sequencers are collected, stored and processed by our customers. They are the only ones who own samples or genetic data, and can control, handle, access and decide where the data goes; MGI does not.
Security Safeguards
Our sequencers and data management platforms are developed based on essential security technology measures such as access control, permission management, and security reinforcement. These measures are combined with customer-side security management systems and security devices & tools such as firewalls, intrusion prevention, bastion machines, and anti-virus gateways to ensure the security of customer data and equipment and prevent data loss and leakage. In addition, our sequencers are designed with the ability to operate offline, meaning that without any connections to shared networks, they can still process data saved in local storage and HPC(High Performance Computer), guaranteeing accurate results and no risk of data access from the Internet by external parties.
Third Party Certificates
MGI has acquired ISO27001:2023, ISO13485:206 and ISO27701:2019 certificates. ZTRON Appliance has been certified by European Privacy Seal(EuroPriSe) in privacy protection.
Data Security Assessment
Click here to get the Data Security Assessment by FTI Cybersecurity
Contribution
As a responsible corporate citizen, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on society through our multifaceted contributions.
Umar Hayat
Chief Technology Officer of US company Gladius Therapeutics
“My position on this is very strong,” said Hayat. “This is all about politics. But if you want to play politics, play politics in other industries like the automotive, electronics or telecommunications industries. Don’t play politics in healthcare where so many people are in need. Let science evolve and advance – wherever it comes from.”
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Michael Snyder
Chair of Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of Stanford Center Genomics and Personalized Medicine
He currently operates a Complete Genomics DNBSeq-T7 platform. He pointed out that the instrument is designed to run locally, giving users full autonomy over the data."I can understand reservations about sending data somewhere where you do not fully control what happens to it," he said, but such concerns do not apply to Complete Genomics' sequencing hardware.
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Rachel King
Former CEO of the trade association Biotechnology Innovation Organization
"(BioSecure Act) would do untold damage to the drug development supply chain both for treatments currently approved and on market as well as for development pipelines decades in the making.”
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Ray Yip
Founder of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention office in China
"the rivalry will slow medical advancements. The benefit of coming up with better diagnostics and therapy is beyond any individual country, Yip said, “and will not overshadow the capacity or prestige of the other country.”
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Rand Paul (R-KY)
Senator of U.S. Senate
"What's happening is that people are taking advantage of anger toward China to do sort of parochial protectionist things for their particular state...my worry is that anger and disengagement from China ultimately is going to be caught up in protectionism and ultimately will lead to higher prices for the American consumer."

“There’s an American company that also does business in China that really loves this bill because it bans their competition,”
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Charles Achibiri
Founder of SciRank
“If this(BioSecure Act) happens, this will create chaos within the system. It could potentially drive some biotech companies out of business because the cost of transitioning to a new location could be high.”
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Sam Stingley
Director of Field Applications of DNA Script
"Sad to see certain companies resort to lobbying tactics to block competition. Especially through frankly racist tactics. I hope customers realize that it is being done by that company because newer technologies are seen as a legitimate threat. Therefore customers should see it as an opportunity to evaluate the newer technologies and break the stranglehold that monopolies have on the industry."
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Abigail Copli
Assistant Professor at Vassar College who specializes in China’s biotech industry
"U.S. policymakers would get too obsessed with the technology’s military applications at the cost of hindering efforts to cure disease and feed the world’s population."
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Loannis Ragoussis
Head of Genome Sciences, McGill Genome Centre
“MGI’s DNBSeq a “respectable technology.”

“I think we should not forget that this is not a technology that just came from China out of the blue,” Ragoussis said. “The origins, up to quite a substantial extent, are in the US.”
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Nik Matthews
Head of the Imperial BRC Genomics Facility, Imperial College London
“Scaremongering and fake news"

“There's nothing that I can see that would mean that MGI versus, say, Illumina or any of the new technologies that are coming out will be any different.”
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Sangmoon Lee
CTO, Genome Insight
“I think [there are] always questions against other foreign companies, especially Chinese companies,”

“If the quality is comparable, why don't we just use this cheaper sequencing instrument?”
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Christoph Ziegenhain
CEO of Xpress Genomics
With regards to MGI's sequencing equipment, it is quite clear that there is no risk of any unauthorized data sharing, and all of our customers' data is only stored and processed using in-house servers at Xpress Genomics premises
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FAQ
What would the BIOSECURE Act mean for researchers and the genomic sequencing industry in the United States?

If passed, the BIOSECURE Act would further concentrate an already-concentrated sequencer market, leading to fewer choices and higher prices for labs with already tight budgets, as well as less innovation in the market. It could also disrupt ongoing research into devastating diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, which could delay future breakthrough treatments and cures and give China and other countries a competitive advantage in genomic research.

Restricting MGI and Complete Genomics in the U.S. market is unwarranted and will have harmful impacts on U.S. researchers and laboratories, as well as patients and American citizens who can benefit from breakthrough research.

1. It is too narrow and fails to protect data.

It targets specific companies not the broader, vast market where personal genetic data of Americans is researched, stored, studied, and even sold. A law setting uniform privacy standards that apply to all companies would do a far better job of protecting personal DNA data.

2. It will concentrate the market, enshrine a monopoly, and drive up costs.

The already concentrated U.S. market for sequencers will become even more of a monopoly for Illumina – which already has roughly 80% of the genomics market. Monopoly levels of concentration drive up prices for customers, decrease customer choice, raise the barriers to entry for competitors and chill innovation, which is the major driver of this industry and its technologies.

3. Customers will suffer setbacks and face much higher costs.

Customers who are forced to rely on sequencers from competitors will face higher costs per gigabyte of data – sometimes twice as much – which will adversely affect U.S. genomic research, making it more expensive, reducing its volume and/or slowing it down – giving China and other countries a competitive advantage in genomic research.

4. It may contribute to drug shortages and slow down cutting-edge clinical trial research.

Other provisions of the BIOSECURE Act will slow down clinical trial research and require pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to find other sources of ingredients for their medicines. This will delay testing and production of promising new medicines, many of which are already in scarce supply. A BioCentury survey released in March found that 90% of biotech leaders said they expect U.S. pipeline delays if the BIOSECURE Act passes.

5. Industry opposes the BIOSECURE Act.

Taken together, these consequences help explain why a March 2024 industry poll taken by BioCentury found that just 18% support the BIOSECURE Act and more than half either oppose the legislation or expressed concerns about its impact on U.S. research and manufacturing capacity.

 

Will the BIOSECURE Act affect the use of MGI products and services inside and outside of the U.S?

This is just one step in the legislative process and it needs a long way to become law. For now, Customers can continue using – and acquiring – these products as they have previously, as there is still time to amend the bill to avoid harmful consequences to the genomic sequencing industry.

We are actively seeking additional information from relevant government officials in the U.S. and working to address this misunderstanding.

Our business in and out of the U.S. remains unchanged.

Suggested Solution for BIOSECURE Act
A more appropriate approach would look to other data-focused legislation and actions and take a similar, wide-ranging approach that applies to the most prominent holders of patient genetic data rather than targeting a very small subset of companies on the market.

  • We believe that a robust and competitive U.S. sequencing instrument market best serves all interests.
  • We fully supports protections for genetic patient data.
  • We believe there should be standards that apply consistently to all companies with access to this data, much like how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) already protects the healthcare data of individuals and applies to all parties to have this data.
  • MGI and Complete Genomics do not have access to, collect, or maintain the genetic data of patients, and our sequencers operate without connection to servers.
  • We believe that there should be a single set of standards and requirements that apply consistently to all companies that do access genetic data, rather than a patchwork approach of singling out and restricting individual companies operating in the U.S. market on a case-by-case basis.
Where does the genetic data collected using MGI sequencers go? Who owns the data?

As an equipment vendor, MGI’s business does not involve any direct data collection. All data on our sequencers are collected, stored and processed by our customers. They are the only ones who own samples or genetic data, and can control, handle, access and decide where the data goes; MGI does not.

In fact, in 2023, FTI Consulting validated the security of our T7 sequencer (and a separate ZTRON server used for local storage by customers), concluding that our technology did not result in outbound, external IP communications during genomic sequencing, nor did our technology contain any concerning source code or network vulnerabilities.

Do you have access to the data during maintenance?

In the instance of product maintenance, MGI gives priority to on-site service and accepts and welcomes customers to accompany our engineers throughout the maintenance process. 

Do you install backdoors in your equipment?

We do not have backdoors and will never install any in our equipment. We will not respond to any demand or request by any customer, partner or third party to install backdoors.

How does MGI ensure data security in and outside of China?

MGI comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those applicable to data security and privacy, in every market in which we operate. We also take active measures to maintain strong internal data security and privacy practices. As an equipment producer, we are committed to building and providing core tools and technology only, and do not own or control samples or genetic data.

What is MGI’s relationship with the Chinese government and military?

MGI is an independent business that produces and supplies core tools and technologies. We do not have any tie to the Chinese military. With regard to the Chinese government, we simply follow their local applicable laws and regulations. There is no other relationship beyond that.

Does MGI currently or has MGI in the past received or relied on any funding from the Chinese government?

Much like many global companies operating in China, MGI has participated in a few domestic initiatives in support of scientific research, which are clearly listed in our financial report. Other than that, we do not receive any funding from the Chinese government.

Has MGI contributed to surveillance by Beijing? Does the data collected face risks of being diverted to China’s military?

MGI has never contributed to any surveillance effort. As an equipment provider, we do not own or control samples or genetic data. In addition, MGI strictly comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those applicable to data security and privacy, in every market in which we operate. With a commitment to lead life science, MGI builds core tools and technology to facilitate clinical and medical advances and improve lives.

 

Is MGI owned by BGI?

No. Although MGI was previously subsidiary of BGI, that changed in September of 2022 when MGI became an independent, publicly traded company on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Today, MGI has its own management, employees and assets. Neither MGI or Complete Genomics(MGI’s 100% control subsidiary) is a subsidiary of BGI, and BGI has no direct investment in MGI or Complete Genomics. They are separate companies with its own management, employees and assets.