SerImmune, a US-based developer of mapping technology for the immune system, has raised $8m in a series A round, led by Illumina Ventures, an independently-managed venture capital fund backed by genomics company Illumina.
US-based pharmaceutical company Merck & Co also contributed to the round, through an unnamed subsidiary, and was joined by undisclosed additional investors.
SerImmune has built a system that can map the human immune system to help with the development of therapeutic or diagnostic products. It will use the money to expand its technology platform and antibody database while building strategic partnerships.
Nick Naclerio, founding partner of Illumina Ventures, said: “The platform will provide new insights into the antigens and environmental factors involved in human disease, enabling more sensitive and precise diagnostic tests, new vaccines and more targeted biopharmaceuticals.
“This fits our strategy of investing in great teams that are pioneering new applications of NGS [next-generation sequencing] alongside other strong syndicate partners.”
Patrick Daugherty is president and chief scientific officer of SerImmune, having been professor of chemical engineering at University of California-Santa Barbara from 2001-2016, where he authored more than 70 scientific articles and patents.
Daugherty also co-founded immuno-oncology company CytomX Therapeutics, which is now listed on Nasdaq.
– Photo of Patrick Daugherty courtesy of University of California Santa Barbara,