Meet

I’m Avi Lasarow, a UK-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and campaigner who has dedicated my life to improving the health and wellness of millions of people through genetic testing and associated innovation.

I create companies that take cutting-edge science out of the laboratory and enable people all over the world to gain insight into their genetic makeup that was previously impossible.

I’ve led several highly successful healthtech businesses through to acquisition. That included three years as CEO EMEA of leading diagnostics and genetic testing company Prenetics at the time of its $1 billion plus IPO on the Nasdaq in 2022.

I’ve learnt about how to turn a great technology into a commercial application at scale. Now, I’m looking forward to helping more ambitious founders build disruptive technologies to help push healthcare forward and solve healthcare problems. I’m an angel investor and mentor to the next generation of med tech start-ups.

I helped set up the UK’s COVID testing infrastructure from scratch, creating secure environments with a wide range of organisations and businesses. These include the Premier League, Virgin Atlantic, Carnival Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Her Majesty’s Prison Probation Service, The Ministry of Defence and the UK Home Office.

I’m a founding member of the newly-formed Health Council of the UK’s leading business body, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). I also sit on NHS England Innovation's new Diagnostic Transformation Programme Industry Advisory Group, providing inputs into senior NHS leaders as to future needs and demands for new technology to impact NHS efficiency and patient pathways.

As a proud South African, I serve as an Honorary Consul to South Africa in the UK, working in a diplomatic capacity to foster and strengthen trade relations between both countries.

Innovator

Avi has a track record of bringing cutting edge science and technology to market, enabling advances in genetics that have transformed the health and wellness outlook for millions of people. His vision of putting people in control of their own genetic information has brought smarter, easier and more effective solutions to health and fitness, entirely unique to individuals’ DNA profiles.

His leadership at Project Screen by Prenetics and the innovative COVID tests they developed in collaboration with Oxford University enabled many businesses and organisations to continue operating during the pandemic. The company built a testing infrastructure from scratch in two weeks and developed innovative ways to speed up testing.


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Entrepreneur

As CEO EMEA for Prenetics, Avi Lasarow played a key role in its successful IPO on the Nasdaq in May 2022, the first time a Hong Kong company achieved unicorn status with a $1bn+ listing. In 2021, Avi’s UK-based EMEA division contributed more than half of Prenetics’ global $275m revenue. See Nikkei coverage below on the ‘In the Media’ page.

As a serial entrepreneur, Avi Lasarow has taken three successful healthtech companies from start up to acquisition since the early 2000s, winning the UK’s most prestigious business award - the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – twice along the way. During Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to South Africa in 2018, Avi’s business DNAfit received a UK Board of Trade Award from the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox, in recognition of the company’s outstanding contribution to driving investment into the UK from South Africa. This was the first time a Board of Trade medallion had been awarded outside the UK.

Avi’s businesses have all been centred around his ambition to use genetic science and technology to help millions of people live longer, healthier and happier lives.


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Investor

Avi’s experience in founding, growing and selling companies totalling more than £1 billion gives him outstanding insight and expertise in judging new investments and offering support and guidance to startups, especially in health-tech.


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Campaigner

Avi Lasarow has been behind some of UK’s leading health and science campaigns, ranging from the launch of CircleDNA, the world’s most cutting-edge DNA test, to standing up for consumers against rogue COVID testing firms.

He is also a leading supporter of the ‘Everyone Genome’ project, which is addressing disparity in genetic research meaning that medicines developed for white European populations are not as effective for people of African descent.


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Giving Back

Avi has always mentored young people at companies he owns, and also contributes to the formal mentoring programmes at the City of London’s Company of Entrepreneurs and the UK Government’s Department for International Trade.

Avi was made an Honorary Consul for South Africa to the UK by the South African President in 2011, a role in which he promotes business and cultural links between the UK and his home country.


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Thought Leadership & Contact

From appearing on BBC’s Today Programme, to writing for The Times, Avi Lasarow is often asked for his views on diagnostic testing and genetics, and on starting, running and selling a business.


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