Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal, Flash Tissue Diagnostics: Flash Tissue Diagnostics is revolutionizing tissue analysis in pathology. Our proprietary Flash technology makes biological tissue highly transparent and enables high-resolution detection of individual cells and subcellular structures, even deep within the tissue.
This is particularly crucial in cancer diagnostics, for example in sentinel lymph node analysis, where early and precise diagnoses are critical for treatment decisions and ultimately for patients’ lives. Our goal is to take diagnostics to a new level – faster, more precise, and three-dimensional.
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing new!
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: No, it actually isn’t – and that’s exactly why we founded the company!
Previous tissue analysis methods are two-dimensional, time-consuming, and often limited in their significance. The Flash method combines tissue clearing and routine capability in a workflow that can be automated on existing platforms. Our technology opens up entirely new possibilities for 3D spatial biology, particularly in the analysis of organoid animal models and human tumor tissue. Something like this has not existed in this form and quality before in clinical practice or translational research.
From research to startup in record time
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: The scientific foundations of Flash were already published in Nature in 2019 by our founders Prof. Axel Behrens and Dr. Hendrik Messal. Both are internationally recognized experts in cancer research.
The idea of turning this into a startup emerged because we realized: this technology can help patients – but it needs to get out of the lab and into the clinic. In July 2024, we founded Flash Tissue Diagnostics. Just one year later, we’re already launching our first product, a RUO kit for organoid detection. An extremely fast path from research to application.
A central milestone on this path was the arrival of Dr. Karim Tabiti as CEO of Flash TD. Karim brings over 25 years of experience in the diagnostics industry, including leadership roles at Roche and as CEO of a QIAGEN joint venture, and has been instrumental in making our scientific vision market-ready.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: One of the biggest challenges was and is exciting investors about the diagnostics field. Although the potential is enormous – both medically and economically – diagnostics is often seen as “difficult terrain” in the startup and investment world. Long development cycles, regulatory hurdles, and high requirements for validation and quality deter many. Yet this is exactly where there’s enormous leverage for real advances in cancer medicine – through earlier, more precise, and personalized diagnoses. But it’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.
We had to do a lot of educational work to communicate the added value of our technology, both in terms of patient benefit and market opportunities. At the same time, we’ve further developed our Flash technology so that it’s also relevant in the research market and industrially scalable and economically attractive. This balance between scientific excellence and economic feasibility was and is a demanding but critical task.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, where in five years?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: In one year, we want to have established our Flash system in leading research laboratories worldwide, particularly in the field of 3D spatial biology and cancer modeling.
In five years, we want to offer clinically approved diagnostic solutions based on Flash technology that are used worldwide in pathology departments and cancer centers. Our goal is to make a measurable contribution to improving cancer survival rates through earlier and more precise diagnoses.
Munich as an ideal environment for life science innovations
Munich Startup: How have you experienced the startup location Munich so far?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: Munich offers ideal conditions for life science startups: a strong research landscape, excellent infrastructure, access to talent, and proximity to industry.
What particularly helps us is the network: the combination of scientific excellence and entrepreneurial support, for example through incubators like MAXL, as well as investor and industry events organized by Baystartup and UnternehmerTUM, make Munich a place where you can really advance medical innovation.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Karim Tabiti, Axel Behrens and Hendrik Messal: Clearly: controlled risk with scientific substance. We’re convinced of our approach, but we don’t rely on gut feeling – we base ourselves on hard data, validated methods, and clear goals. In diagnostics, it’s about human lives, so you need courage for innovation but also a sense of responsibility, structure, and quality. Our approach combines both.
