Gradientech appoints Sumi Thaker as Chief Executive Officer to lead its next phase of commercial growth

Gradientech, a diagnostics company pioneering ultra-rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing, today announces the appointment of Sumi Thaker as Chief Executive Officer, with effective date 1 August 2026. Sumi will lead the company’s next phase of growth as Gradientech accelerates the global commercialisation of QuickMIC.

Sumi succeeds Sara Thorslund, who co-founded Gradientech and led its development since 2009, taking the company from an early-stage research idea to a clinically validated diagnostic platform. The appointment marks a deliberate move into the company’s next chapter, as Gradientech shifts its focus from technology development towards commercial execution and international market expansion.

Sumi brings more than three decades of international leadership across the pharmaceutical and diagnostics sectors. He has held senior commercial, marketing and executive positions at leading global companies including UCB, bioMérieux and Thermo Fisher Scientific, with responsibilities spanning international markets, brand strategy and business growth, having begun his career at Sanofi. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Commercial Director at Momentum Bioscience, where he led the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.

“I am honoured to take on the role of CEO at such an important stage in the company’s development,” says Sumi Thaker, CEO of Gradientech. “Sara Thorslund and the team have created a clinically proven technology that directly addresses antibiotic resistance, one of the defining health challenges of our time. My focus now is to build on that foundation — scaling our commercial organisation, deepening our customer and partner relationships, and realising the full potential of QuickMIC® for patients and healthcare systems worldwide.”

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Sara Thorslund for her dedication in building Gradientech over many years,” says Gisela Sitbon, Chair of the Board. “As Gradientech moves into a growth and commercialisation phase, Sumi brings exactly the international commercial leadership the company needs. His proven track record of driving commercial success and strategic growth in diagnostics makes him the right person to expand market adoption and create long-term value for patients, customers and shareholders.”
For further information, please contact:
Sumi Thaker, CEO Gradientech
sumi.thaker@gradientech.se

Urban Adolfsson, CFO/IR, Gradientech
Tel: +46 (0) 70 820 72 09
urban.adolfsson@gradientech.se

About Gradientech

Gradientech develops next-generation diagnostics for infectious disease medicine. Its QuickMIC^® system provides ultra-rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing to help clinicians identify the most effective antibiotic treatment faster. By shortening the time to an informed treatment decision, Gradientech aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and support the global effort against antibiotic resistance — one of the greatest threats to public health. Gradientech is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden. Visit gradientech.se for more information.