Synthetic Genomics, a US-based biotechnology company founded by Craig Venter, a pioneer in reading the human genome, has extended its latest round to $35m, according to its regulatory filing.
Synthetic Genomics had in June made an initial close at $10m from one investor out of a targeted $50m.
The latest close has come from six undisclosed investors. Oil major BP bought a stake of undisclosed size in 2007 and joined Synthetic Genomics’ original venture capital backers: Biotechonomy, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Plenus and Meteor Group.
Last year, Synthetic Genomics said it had created synthetic life. Arthur Caplan, bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said in the Financial Times: "This makes it one of the most important scientific achievements in the history of mankind."