‘Our cloud-based product Tempo takes a modern approach toward pharmaceutical manufacturing, providing a single, intelligent platform to manage the drug lifecycle end-to-end’: Angelo Stracquatanio, Co-founder & CEO of Apprentice.io

“We provide life science organizations with a modern, no-code manufacturing cloud comprising a manufacturing execution system, a laboratory execution system, and a pharma-compliant, virtual collaboration platform.”

Apprentice.io is an intelligent software company that builds solutions for global life science teams to increase speed to market, improve product yield and decrease deviations so critical drugs get to market faster, with higher reliability. The company delivers the life science industry’s only intelligent manufacturing execution system that helps teams scale faster - from COVID to cancer.

Angelo Stracquatanio, Co-founder and CEO of Apprentice.io, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review on how he and his company are helping manufacturers adopt the latest technologies to make breakthrough therapeutics available to all.

Interview Highlights

Q. What was the motivation behind starting Apprentice.io?

I wanted to develop modern technology that could help the life science industry get lifesaving therapeutics to patients faster. Pharma is arguably one of the most crucial healthcare verticals that people around the world rely on, yet many industry leaders are stuck using paper or outdated legacy systems to develop their drug products. I knew that a more modern, intelligent cloud-based technology was the future of pharma manufacturing. Technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence, can improve an organization’s data collection, procedure execution, resource management, and collaboration, ultimately increasing their speed to market. With COVID acting as a catalyst, we redefined how we support the life science industry, developing a flexible and collaborative manufacturing execution system and laboratory execution system platform unlike anything the pharma industry has seen before.

Q. What makes Apprentice.io relevant in today’s times? Could you give us some context?

Apprentice is the next generation of manufacturing technology for life sciences. The legacy systems created generations ago were not designed to handle the growing complexities and demands of today’s drug manufacturing. As pharma moves toward more complex batch manufacturing with biologics and cell & gene therapies, there is a greater need for modern systems that can support the changing supply chain. We saw that COVID further accelerated the adoption of modern technologies such as ours. Manufacturing teams needed a way to collaborate without traveling, and needed to increase speed to market for the manufacturing of novel mRNA vaccines despite a global shut down. That’s why Apprentice developed Tempo - a flexible, cloud-based solution for manufacturing execution, laboratory execution, and cross-team collaboration. Tempo delivers a forward-thinking, pharma 4.0-driven system that helps organizations take the necessary steps toward digital transformation. Our cloud-based architecture eliminates the need for a patchwork of disconnected systems and deploys quickly without costly on-premise systems or extensive IT resources. Tempo is the first platform to provide real-time insight into resources and production so that companies can scale up through the drug lifecycle and scale out across teams and sites. Tempo carries organizations from pre-clinical to commercial manufacturing in one platform, so teams can iterate faster, release batches quicker, improve product quality, and improve operator execution.

Q. Could you tell us about the various services that you offer?

Apprentice provides life science organizations with a modern, no-code manufacturing cloud that is comprised of a manufacturing execution system, a laboratory execution system and a pharma-compliant, virtual collaboration platform. With our technology, organizations can go from paper to digital quickly by augmenting their existing paper procedures with technique media, linked resources and more that help scientists and operators work more efficiently and reliably. Tempo is the first unifying, end-to-end platform with a flexible configuration that’s built to handle the manufacturing of advanced therapies. Tempo’s flexibility and agile implementation process enables our customers to go-live in months, not years. Our modern UI and multi-device offering also mirrors personal device usage, making for a gentle and seamless transition to Tempo.

Tempo Manufacturing Cloud offers services such as;

Manufacturing Execution System: Scientists and operators use Apprentice’s Tempo Manufacturing Cloud to collaborate across teams, augment their existing workflow documents with helpful technique media, plan out the resources they need and then execute their workflows on augmented reality-powered headsets and devices. Customers can also review and take action on critical values, process issues, and non-conformances in real-time to prevent deviations and improve quality. Tempo easily integrates with other existing systems to directly capture sample and material data. Tempo also has built-in quality control features that help avoid costly deviations and ensure that product quality is maintained.

Laboratory Execution System: It is built for the modern quality control lab. Apprentice’s laboratory execution system helps you release batches faster with real-time quality control. Scientists can author rich digital work instructions, manage samples and lab resources at scale, and execute test methods on mobile and wearable devices. Organizations use our LES in combination with our manufacturing execution system to eliminate delays and drive action on real-time quality feedback across all production teams. We empower scientists and operators to work together to prevent deviations and achieve faster batch release.

Tandem: Teams can collaborate virtually on documentation, work hands-free in the suite, and troubleshoot with colleagues virtually from anywhere using built-in drawing tools, AR overlays, and live voice transcription, which speeds up processes and saves valuable resources.

Q. What differentiates you from others in the space?

We are taking a high-growth tech approach to life sciences. We’re delivering a modern SaaS platform that can scale up and out quickly to meet the changing demands of the pharmaceutical industry. Tempo is specifically intended to handle the complexities of and flexibility required to manufacture advanced drug therapies.

Apprentice is also the only provider in this space delivering solutions that are not only cutting-edge, but appealing to the scientists and operators working to deliver lifesaving cures each day. Unlike many older legacy systems, our Tempo Manufacturing Cloud is purpose-built for pharma. Our software is built for pharma’s specific needs and stringent security requirements. It is GDPR ready, ISO 27001 and validated by 3rd parties for pharma compliance standards like cGXP and 21 CFR Part 11.

Q. Could you tell us about the work culture at Apprentice.io?

We have curated an incredibly talented and diverse team from all different pharmaceutical, technology and business backgrounds. We’re a roll-up-your-sleeves culture that looks for a challenge and accomplishes big goals. Dedicated, mission-driven, and relentless on our path to change the world, we have experienced an incredible 12x growth rate since 2021. We continue to appreciate our team of talented individuals who are dedicated to working shoulder to shoulder with our life science customers. We work hard and enjoy what we do, regularly celebrating our company wins together as a team and enjoying the amazing New York City skyline views from our Jersey City headquarters.

Q. What does the road ahead look like for Apprentice.io? Do you have anything new coming up?

We are really excited about the expansion of our Tempo Manufacturing Cloud. We have more product launches on the horizon and will continue to grow our solution to meet different needs within the laboratory and manufacturing suite. Apprentice will one day be the only end-to-end solution that life science teams need and rely on.

The Visionary Leader Upfront

Angelo Stracquatanio is the Co-founder and CEO of Apprentice.io (www.apprentice.io), the world’s first and only intelligent software platform built specifically for the life sciences. Angelo realized the untapped power of emerging technologies to modernize manufacturing systems and usher in new drug therapies. He started Apprentice with a singular goal in mind: helping pharma manufacturers get medicines to patients faster.

Drawing on his previous experience in mobile enterprise technology, Angelo co-founded Apprentice in 2014 and has enjoyed the wild ride ever since. Angelo lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, one puppy, and a garden that remains his biggest challenge and triumph to date.

Company Description

Apprentice helps life science manufacturers get treatments to patients faster by providing one platform to turn molecules into medicine. Our Tempo Manufacturing Cloud lets you scale up and out with unprecedented speed and accuracy. From preclinical benchtop to large-scale commercial manufacturing, Tempo keeps your global teams connected, empowered, and in sync.

With $140M in funding, a 12x growth rate, and 512% net customer retention, Apprentice is a trusted partner to modernize your operations and change the way drugs are made in your facility. Learn how leading companies like Catalent, Synthego, and Bristol Myers Squibb are using Tempo to scale from drug discovery to patient delivery faster at www.apprentice.io.

"Tempo is the first platform to provide real-time insight into resources and production so that companies can scale up through the drug lifecycle and scale-out across teams and sites.”