Biopharmaceutical company RaNA Therapeutics closed a $20.7m series A round on Wednesday co-led by GlaxoSmithKline’s corporate venturing unit, SR One, as well as agricultural corporation Monsanto and venture capital firm Atlas Venture.
Atlas was previously a co-founder of RaNA, and provided $2.7m in seed capital last year when RaNA was in stealth mode.
The three were joined in the round by the Partners Innovation Fund, a venturing fund jointly representing Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
RaNA’s research platform involves targeting and activating genes through RNA, which along with DNA and proteins, are responsible for encoding genetic information. Using exclusive technology licensed from Massachusetts General Hospital, RaNA is looking to develop treatments capable of combating a range of diseases by rectifying defective gene expression.
In conjunction with the latest funding round, Brian M. Gallagher, Jr., a partner at SR One, and Stephen Padgette, vice president of Monsanto, both joined RaNA’s board of directors.