Camena Bioscience secures £7.8m Series A funding led by Mercia Ventures to scale operations.
The Cambridge-based synthetic gene provider raised the capital from Mercia Ventures to expand operations and develop its DNA synthesis platform.
Camena Bioscience provides synthetic genes to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors through its proprietary enzyme-based platform. The firm supplies accurate DNA sequences to support disease research and drug discovery programmes.
Cambridge-based biotechnology firm Camena Bioscience has secured £7.8m in a Series A funding round led by Mercia Ventures. The capital will be deployed to scale operations and advance the development of the company's gSynth DNA synthesis platform.
Camena offers an enzyme-based technology designed to generate synthetic DNA with high accuracy, addressing historical limitations in cost and time associated with 1980s methods. The firm has already established commercial agreements across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, securing recurring revenues as demand grows for sustainable gene supply chains.
Mercia backed the financing through its Northern Venture Capital Trusts, with Lee Lindley joining the company board alongside biotechnology executive Aditya Rajagopal.
From the founder
"We are delighted to have closed this latest round of funding with Mercia, which provides further validation of Camena’s approach. The ability to read, write and manipulate DNA is the foundation of the synthetic biology value chain, yet developments in DNA synthesis have not kept pace with DNA sequencing and editing capabilities. Camena’s gSynth platform is revolutionising the DNA synthesis market by unlocking access to genes and accelerating discovery pipelines. As the focus on sustainability and supply-chain security become more acute, Camena is leading the way with a green synthesis technology and is already well positioned to serve this burgeoning market. The invention of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies transformed our ability to ‘read’ DNA. Our goal is to enable our customers to ‘write’ DNA with the same confidence and ease."
Steve Harvey
CEO at Camena Bioscience
Investor perspective
"The market for synthetic genes is growing rapidly but a lot of demand is for complex genes which are extremely difficult to produce accurately. Camena can provide a solution that no other provider can deliver. The development of the company’s gSynth technology is a game changer that could unlock a much bigger global market. We’re really excited to be supporting Camena on its next stage of growth."
Lee Lindley
Mercia Ventures
Use of funds
- 01Scale operations
- 02Continue product development
Investors
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About the company
Camena Bioscience
Camena Bioscience develops enzyme-based DNA synthesis technology for the life sciences sector.