US-based molecular therapeutics startup Senda Biosciences has completed a $98m series B round that included medical care and research provider Mayo Clinic.
The $55m close included Alexandria Venture Investments, the venture capital arm of life sciences real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities, as well as founding Senda investor Flagship Pioneering and State of Michigan Retirement System, all existing investors.
Mayo Clinic and fellow new investors Longevity Vision Fund, Terra Magnum Capital Partners, Partners Investment and Mint Venture Partners filled out the round’s participants. The company launched in October 2020 with $88m from investors including Flagship Pioneering.
Senda is working on therapeutics based on research on molecular interactions between humans, plants and bacteria. Its targets include cancer and metabolic disorders.
Flagship Pioneering partner and Senda CEO Guillaume Pfefer said: “The Senda team has made great progress since launching in late 2020. We have significantly advanced our platform and therapeutic programs, established a strategic partnership with Nestlé Health Science and begun to build a world-class team.
“Now we have closed a series B extension financing that will enable us to initiate multiple clinical programmes as we continue to build out our platform and pipeline.
“We are thrilled to have such a dedicated group of investors backing our work and sharing our vision. We look forward to sharing further updates on the progress of our lead programmes as we move towards our first clinical trials in early 2022.”
