A daily newsletter summarizing recent activity & interesting startups globally
RECENT NOTABLE ACTIVITY – DIAGNOSTICS
- Myriad Genetics to acquire pharmacogenomics specialist Assurex Health for $410M. Link
- Debiopharm Group invests ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in Canadian Dx company GenePOC. Link
- Consumer genetics company Color Genomics raises $38.5M round. Link
- Mitra Biotech closes $27.4M Series B round, led by Sequoia India and Sands Venture Capital Link
- Singlera Genomics raises $20M in Series A financing led by Lilly Asia Venture. Link
- Avelas Biosciences, maker of fluorescent molecular imaging tools, completes $20M Series C round. Link
- Metabolon raises $15M round to finance precision medicine tests. Link
- Gobiquity raises $6M in first close of Series B round for its smartphone app to detect ambylopia in kids. Link
- BBB Technologies closes $5M Series A round for its Android-based mobile testing device. Link
- UPMC leads a $5M investment round for Cernostics, developer of the TissueCypher™ platform. Link
- Biomerieux to collaborate with Jackson Labs for the development of infectious disease diagnostics. Link
SOME INTERESTING STARTUPS FOUND
Futuretics (2016, Prague) – Software solutions that analyze different diagnostic modalities to aid clinicans in diagnosing patient
LEADER BOARD – DIAGNOSTICS
Oncology
Foundation Medicine (2010, Cambridge, $89.5M, Acq.) – Develops clinical assays for comprehensive genetic profiling for solid tumors and hematological malignancies to tailor personalized treatment regimens for patients. Backed by Google Ventures, KPCB, Third Rock Ventures; Roche owns a majority stake.
Biocartis (2007, Lausanne, IPO) – Develops in vitro molecular diagnostic platforms for multiplexed detection of bio-analytes in tissue samples. Backed by Debiopharm, J&J Development Corporation, Philips, The Wellcome Trust. Went public in 2015.
NantHealth (2007, Culver City, IPO) – Combines molecular medicine and bioinformatics with technology services to enable personalized therapies for cancer and other diseases. Part of billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong’s NantWorks system. Backed by the Kuwait government, Blackberry, Celgene, AllScripts.
Adaptive Biotechnologies (2008, Seattle, $404M) – Develops high-throughput immunosequencing technologies, first application being fordiagnosis of minimal residual disease in blood cancers. Backed by Viking Global, Illumina, Celgene, Lab Corp, Rock Spring Capital.
Guardant Health (2012, Redwood City, $190M) – Develops biopsy-free cancer detection and treatments using digital sequencing technology. Backed by Sequoia, Khosla Ventures, Orbimed, Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Cardiovascular Disease
Acutus Medical (2011, San Diego, $157M) – Develops medical imaging technologies for the electrophysiological market; first product gives an ultrasound-based reconstruction of the heart to diagnose arrhythmias. Backed by Advent Life Sciences, Orbimed, GE Ventures, Xeraya, Deerfield Capital.
Immune Disease
Exagen Diagnostics (2002, Vista, $74M) – Rheumatology specialty company that focuses on the diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Backed by Epic venture capital, vSpring Capital, Sun Mountain Capital.
Infectious disease
Oxford Immunotec (2002, Abingdon, IPO) – Proprietary T-SPOT platform that measures immune cell responses at a single cell level to detect infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and CMV even at low pathogen loads. Backed by Dow, Clarus Ventures, New Leaf Venture Partners, Spark Ventures. Went public in 2013.
Atlas Genetics (2005, Bristol UK, $76M) – Develops the microfluidic-based multiplex point-of-care system io™ to detect bacterial STDs and hospital acquired infections. Backed by J&J Development Corporation, Novartis, BB Biotech, Consort Medical, Life Science Venture Partners.
Reproductive Health
Natera (2004, Redwood City, IPO) – Specializes in pre-implantation genetic testing, conception testing and noninvasive prenatal diagnostics. Backed by Claremont Creek Ventures, Sequoia, Orbimed Advisors, Sofinnova Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners. Went public in 2015.
Sera Prognostics (2008, Salt Lake City, $50M) – Develops a proteomics tests for assessing risk of pre-term birth in expectant mothers. Backed by Domain Associates, Catalyst Health Ventures, Interwest and Upstart Capital.
CNS
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals (2005, Philadelphia, $70M, Acq.) – Specializes in molecular imaging agents for diagnosis of chronic diseases. Backed by Bioadvance, RK Ventures, Lilly Ventures, Safeguard Scientific, Pfizer. Acquired by Eli Lilly in 2010 for $800M.
Platform
SuperSonic Imagine (2005, Aix-en-Provence, IPO) – Develops ultrasound imaging platforms, with applications in women health, vascular, hepatology, gastroenterology and general imaging. Backed by NBGI Private Equity, Rothschild, Auriga Partners, Omnes Capital, Alto Invest. Went public in 2014.
Singulex (2003, Alamedia, $141M) – Specializes in single molecule counting technology and biomarker research for diagnostics. Backed by GE Capital, Advantage Capital, Prolog Ventures, Orbimed, Jafco.
Personalis (2011, Menlo Park, $75M) – Use proprietary databases, human reference sequences, and sophisticated algorithms to analyze genome scale information for clinical diagnostics. Backed by Mohr Davidow Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Abingworth.
Suite
23andMe (2006, Mountain View, $232M) – Provides direct-to-consumer service of gene indexing w.r.t. ancestry, genealogy, and inherited traits. Backed by J&J Development Corporation, NEA, Google Ventures, Illumina, Fidelity Investments, Mohr Davidow, MPM Capital.
SomaLogic (1999, Boulder, $169M) – Develops proteomics tools with applications in clinical diagnostics and life science research. Backed by Novartis, Gates Foundation, Visium Healthcare.
Assurex Health (2006, Mason, $92M) – Develops pharmacogenomics platforms for neuropsychiatric disorders. Backed by Mayo Clinic, Claremont Creek, Allos Ventures, Sequoia, GE Capital, jVen Capital.
Pathway Genomics (2008, San Diego, $70M) – Develops genetic tests for cancer risk and drug responses. Backed by KCP Capital, Edelson Tech, Founders Fund, IBM.
Leaderboard includes all the top funded, IPO and successfully running bootstrapped companies along with their location, founding year and funding amount.
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