Data in Biotech Building Scalable Data Platforms for Spatial Biology with Kenny Workman of LatchBio
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Jun 25, 2025 
Kenny Workman, co-founder and CTO of LatchBio, discusses transforming biotech's data infrastructure. He highlights the urgent need for scalable systems in spatial biology and the challenges faced when adapting to new technologies. Kenny explains LatchBio's five core components that streamline molecular data processing and the importance of effective collaboration across disciplines. He also explores the impact of large language models on public data curation and the industry's shift towards data-driven research, emphasizing the importance of better tech adoption.
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Early User Interview Anecdote
- LatchBio founders spammed LinkedIn and emails to interview biologists and programmers in biotech.
- They discovered extreme heterogeneity in biotech data types and experimental setups, complicating pattern recognition.
Five Core Platform Components
- LatchBio's platform has five core components: workflows, distributed file system, registry for metadata, computing system, and a high-performance visualization layer.
- This design reflects a generalized lifecycle to manage molecular biology data efficiently.
Shift from Biotechs to Solution Providers
- Biotech companies pose challenges as customers due to heterogeneity, volatility, and economic irrationality in tech adoption.
- LatchBio shifted focus to solution providers, who build assays and distribute them, as better customers with urgent data needs.