US-based clinical trial services provider Lightship obtained $40m in a funding round on Wednesday that included McKesson Ventures, the corporate venture capital unit of pharmaceuticals distributor McKesson.
Define Ventures and private investor Brook Byers co-led the round, while Khosla Ventures and Time Ventures also took part.
Founded in 2018, Lightship operates an end-to-end service to run decentralised clinical research trials at scale. The fresh financing will allow Lightship to expand domestically and internationally, with a new office set to be opened in the UK this autumn.
Dave Schulte, senior vice-president and managing director of McKesson Ventures, said: “We have seen outstanding growth and progress in decentralised clinical trials and there is huge potential for more innovation in the US and many other markets.
“We are proud to back Lightship’s expansion and this team’s relentless commitment to delivering successful clinical trials and the support it provides sponsors and patients at every step.”
McKesson Ventures and Define Ventures previously co-led a $20m series B round in February 2020, when Khosla Ventures, Byers and fellow private investor Marc Benioff also participated.
Lightship has not revealed details about its series A round.
