Cambridge Enterprise joined Seedcamp and private investors for Sano Genetics’ seed round, proceeds of which will support the company’s data-sharing platform for genomic research.

UK-based genomic research and data-sharing platform operator Sano Genetics has raised £500,000 ($650,000) in a seed round backed by University of Cambridge tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise, GenomeWeb has reported. Seed-stage VC fund Seedcamp also took part in the round alongside a group of unnamed individual investors. Founded in 2016 as Heterogeneous, Sano Genetics runs a platform that matches individuals with genomic research studies that would benefit from their participation by assessing the person’s medical history and available genetic data. As an incentive, Sano Genetics tries to assign participants to cost-free genome sequencing projects, enabling them to receive free personalised health and wellness reports based on their genetic profile. The seed capital will help sustain Sano Genetics’ platform as the company aims to enroll more than 10,000 participants in six new research projects by the end of 2019. William Jones, the recipient of a University of Cambridge PhD in computational biology, currently acts as Sano Genetics’ chief technology officer. Patrick Short, chief executive of Sano Genetics, said: “Our platform allows scientists to do research into personalised medicine and access dynamic health and genetic data sets, while still giving individuals transparency and control throughout the process. “When people trust in the system and see the benefits from their participation, they are more likely to take part again in the future.”

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