Congenica, clinical genomics software company for inherited diseases, has completed its Series B funding round with additional investments from new investors BGI Genomics, DNA sequencing service provider; Healthlink Capital, a China-based life-science investor; and Future Planet Capital, a global innovation fund.
Alongside investing, BGI and UniteGen, Healthlink’s clinical diagnostic lab, have signed commercial contracts to use Congenica’s enterprise software, Sapientia, to support their operations in China.
Tom Weaver, CEO at Congenica said: “Genomic technology will be central to the next generation healthcare system that is evolving rapidly in China. We have established a scalable partnering model to transform the clinical genetic testing market.”
BGI will use Sapientia as a genome annotation and clinical decision support platform for in-house programmes and through its BGI-online service, enabling the adoption of genome-based genetic diagnosis in routine diagnostic testing.
The automated reporting software solves a critical bottleneck for the genetic testing industry in China.
John Qiu, co-founder and President of Healthlink, said: “Congenica’s data interpretation and clinical reporting platform has the potential to serve as a foundational tool for next-generation rare genetic disease diagnosis and treatment in a number of pre-birth and peadiatric care and research applications in China – particularly as birth rates rise following the relaxation of the one-child rule.”
Weike Mo, founder and CEO of UniteGen, said: “Sapientia incorporates all the features needed by Chinese healthcare practitioners to integrate genetic testing into clinical decisions. The automated reporting software solves a critical bottleneck for the genetic testing industry in China.”
Congenica’s technology is a game-changer by enabling doctors to diagnose the undiagnosable.
Douglas Hansen-Luke, Executive Chairman at Future Planet Capital, said: “We invest in companies that have the potential to not only be commercially successful but also have global impact.”
“Congenica has the potential to accomplish both, building traction in China, the US and the Middle East where our investors are very actively engaged and wish to see direct benefit to their healthcare systems. Congenica’s technology is a game-changer by enabling doctors to diagnose the undiagnosable.”
