At PeekCell, every component that goes into manufacturing their cancer detection test has to meet a dual requirement: rock-solid scientific reliability, and guaranteed long-term availability. That's a difficult balance to strike when sourcing stays confined to a narrow circle of known suppliers. This is the challenge PeekCell's team set out to tackle with Procureezy.
PeekCell, or cancer detection from a simple urine test
PeekCell is developing a medtech solution built around biomarker research in urine samples, subsequently analyzed by artificial intelligence, to detect cancer. This innovation draws on two complementary areas of expertise within the team. On one side, the technical development of the solution, covering biology and AI, led by Gwendoline Tallec. On the other, industrialization and product management, driven by Antoine Droneau, COO, which takes over once the R&D side has stabilized, turning it into a product that can be manufactured at scale.
This dual focus reflects the reality of a growing medtech company: every component choice has to hold up scientifically while also being producible at scale, within a demanding regulatory framework.
Sourcing rooted in scientific literature, but confined to a narrow circle
At PeekCell, component sourcing starts with scientific literature and what's already in use in reference publications. From there, the team looks for alternatives among known, trusted suppliers, most often large European or North American companies.
What takes the most time in this approach is identifying these large companies and verifying their certifications along with the elements that build trust. At a development stage like PeekCell's, finding a reliable partner is an absolute priority. And that's exactly where the team's main concerns lie: delays tied to initial outreach and administrative signatures, but above all the long-term availability of references, a critical issue in a sector where product cycles run long.
Why Procureezy: breaking out of the "top four lines of Google" mindset
What drew PeekCell's team to Procureezy's value proposition was, above all, the ability to identify new references, moving beyond the circle of companies already known and identified internally. The team readily admits they were "a bit boxed in," with relatively few companies on their radar in the end.
"What interested us about Procureezy was the ability to identify new references that we would never have found on our own."
Gwendoline Tallec, CTO at PeekCell
On top of this discovery angle comes a genuine time saving when comparing different products and components for the final product, thanks to a single platform that centralizes every point of comparison. A much faster filter, one that lets the team map out the state of the art across different solutions, and more importantly, surface manufacturers, subcontractors, or distributors they would never have found on their own, staying limited to what shows up "on the top four lines of Google."
Procureezy in daily use at PeekCell: two concrete use cases
PeekCell's team currently identifies two main uses for Procureezy, at different points in their development process.
When the same reference is used in large volumes, several times a day as part of the analysis process, the goal is to find an equally effective alternative at a lower cost, reducing recurring expenses.
Once a first product has been validated with qualified, trusted manufacturers, the team looks for less obvious solutions from more exotic manufacturers, with the goal of potentially cutting the price in half.
Benefits already observed
One benefit already stands out clearly for PeekCell's team: discovering new references and new suppliers never previously considered. A real shift for a team that admits it had long worked with a narrow supplier scope.
"One platform centralizes every point of comparison. It surfaces manufacturers, subcontractors and distributors we would never have found on the top four lines of Google."
Antoine Droneau, COO at PeekCell
This broadening of the search field is, in itself, a major value add in a sector where diversifying supply sources directly determines the resilience of the production chain.
What's next?
Gwendoline Tallec and Antoine Droneau share a common vision for what comes next in the partnership.
- 1
Deeper interaction between the BOM and the product life cycle, applied to the medical context where development cycles run long. The idea: once a first product is out, the platform could proactively flag that a reference is about to be discontinued and suggest cheaper alternatives for a future version — a form of Life Cycle Monitoring built into overall product and project management.
- 2
Simplifying the pricing side and initial supplier contact, with quote requests and access to basic information that isn't always readily available online today.
Two complementary directions that point toward a platform capable of supporting not just the initial sourcing phase, but the entire product life cycle over time, for PeekCell.