US-based gene-editing technology developer eGenesis closed a $125m series C round yesterday that included pharmaceuticals and chemicals producer Bayer and kidney dialysis centre operator Fresenius Medical Care.
Bayer subsidiary Leaps by Bayer and Fresnius unit Fresenius Medical Care Ventures were joined by fellow existing investors Arch Venture Partners, Wellington Partners, Khosla Ventures and Alta Partners.
The round was filled out by university spinout-focused investment firm Osage University Partners, Farallon Capital Management, Polaris Partners, HBM Healthcare Investments, Invus and Samsara BioCapital, LifeSci Venture Partners, Irving Investors, Catalio Capital Management, SymBiosis, Altium Capital and Monashee Investment Management.
Founded in 2015, eGenesis is working on gene-editing and genome-engineering technologies intended to create human-compatible organs, tissues and cells from those harvested from animals – a process known as xenotransplantation.
The company is initially focusing on kidney and islet cell transplants, and will use the series C financing to move its lead assets in those areas into human proof-of-concept studies, as well as further developing its platform and scaling its good manufacturing practices.
Polaris partner Isaac Ciechanover and Mark Pruzanski, founder and former chief executive of biopharmaceutical firm Intercept Pharmaceuticals, have joined the board of directors at eGenesis in connection with the round.
Fresenius Medical Care Ventures led the company’s $100m series B round in late 2019, with participation from Leaps by Bayer, Wellington Partners, Arch Venture Partners, Biomatics Capital, Alta Partners, Khosla Ventures and unnamed existing investors.
Arch Venture Partners and Biomatics Capital had co-led a $38m series A round for eGenesis in 2017 that included healthcare services provider Heritage Provider Network and life sciences real estate developer Alexandria Real Estate Equities’ VC arm, Alexandria Venture Investments.
The series A round also attracted Khosla Ventures, Alta Partners, Berggruen Holdings North America, Uprising and Fan Ventures.
The original version of this article appeared on our sister site, Global University Venturing.
