Epigenomics services provider Epinomics, co-founded by Stanford University faculty and alumni, has been bought by 10x Genomics in a transaction which enables StartX to exit.

Epinomics, a US-based epigenomics services spinout of Stanford University, was acquired by genomic sequencing tool developer 10x Genomics on Wednesday providing an exit for the Stanford-StartX accelerator. Founded in 2013, Epinomics has developed an epigenomics technology and analytics platform that helps researchers uncover biomarkers for therapeutic projects by exploiting a sequencing technique called Atac-seq, co-invented in 2013 by some of Epinomics’ founding team. Epigenomics generally explores factors that activate or deactivate genes across a single cell’s entire genetic material, which is termed the epigenome. Upsides to using Atac-seq include the ability to use a far smaller biological sample than in alternative approaches. 10x Genomics will integrate Epinomics’ technology with its own epigenomics product, Chromium Single Cell Atac, which is scheduled to launch later this year.   Epinomics’ co-founders include Howard Chang, a professor of dermatology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine whose lab invented Atac. Chang was helped by his then PhD researcher Paul Giresi, as well as William Greenleaf, assistant professor of genetics at the same school, and Epinomics’ chief executive, Fergus Chan, who completed an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Epinomics does not appear to have publicly disclosed funding prior to the acquisition, though Stanford University’s StartX accelerator has now been named as an investor, along with venture capital firms Lightspeed Venture Partners, Felicis Ventures and Founders Fund. Serge Saxonov, CEO and co-founder of 10x Genomics, said: “Our goal is to accelerate science and enable our customers to see biology they could not see before.” “Today’s acquisition gives us a strong team, IP and technology that has been enthusiastically validated by customers. It provides a foundation for powerful new products and positions us well to become the leader in epigenomics.”

Subscribe to go deeper

GCV subscribers get access to all our proprietary data and deep-dive articles, as well as the global directory of CVC investors.



Not sure if you have a subscription?