DropGenie Secures $5 Million to Automate Small-Sample Gene Editing
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The biotech startup aims to reduce reagent costs and cell requirements by moving lab workflows onto miniaturized chips.
Montréal and Boston-based DropGenie has closed a $5 million USD ($7 million CAD) seed-plus financing round, BetaKit reports. The funding was led by Skeleton Key and included BDC Capital’s Thrive Fund, the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, CQDM, Real Ventures, and Anges Québec.
Founded in 2018 by CEO Alison Hirukawa and co-founders Hugo Sinha and Philippe Vo, the company utilizes a digital microfluidics platform. The technology uses electrical signals to manipulate minute amounts of liquid on a small chip, eliminating the need to transport samples between different lab machines. According to BetaKit, DropGenie’s first product applies this to gene editing, requiring up to 100 times fewer cells and 100 times less volume than traditional methods. Hirukawa noted that reducing the volume of expensive, bespoke reagents significantly alters the cost profile of discovery work.
Beyond cost reduction, BDC Thrive Fund managing director Mona Minhas stated that the company's faster screening methods provide the high-quality, human-relevant data necessary for AI models used in drug discovery.
DropGenie has already established partnerships with Danaher, Sartorius, AbbVie, and UCB Pharma. The company intends to use the new capital to expand its 10-person team and commercialize its automated lab workflows as a service, with a planned launch in the second quarter of next year.