Sampling Human Raises $2 Million to Support the Development of Engineered Cells for Single Cell Analysis
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#biotech–Sampling Human, an early stage, life science technology company that has developed a diagnostic platform that harnesses genetically engineered cells to analyze other cells in their environment, has raised $2 million led by the venture capital firm i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio). Longevitytech.fund and Formic Ventures also participated in the recent financing. Through synthetic biology, Sampling Human is modifying yeasts into “Living Information Technology” capable of detecting and classifying select living cells (e.g., cancer cells) in a sample of millions of other cells. The practical potential of this technology could transform diagnostic processes with liquid biopsy that is orders of magnitude faster, less expensive and more precise. The investment will further advance R&D, hiring, and business development.
Sampling Human’s core technology lies in their proprietary platform and kit format, that is able to detect and classify an extremely small number of selected cells in a sample of millions of other cells through the identification of their complex molecular features. This detection efficiency is achieved through biological processing, a major improvement from standard diagnostic processes which utilize large instruments, such as flow cytometry, that can only sort cells individually and only one sample can be analyzed at a time.
“We formed Sampling Human to transform health measurement to be more precise and replicable. Single cells exhibit an incredibly rich set of attributes that can predict a patient’s health trajectory, but they are often impossible to decipher. Our platform democratizes single cell analysis to improve access for research institutions and clinicians,” said Daniel Georgiev, co-founder and CEO of Sampling Human. “By harnessing cells to analyze other cells, we make it possible to measure rare driver and repair events that have the potential to significantly change an individual’s health in negative or positive ways.”
“We met the Sampling Human team and got to understand their technology at i&i Prague at the end of 2019,” says Jaromír Zahrádka, CEO of i&i Biotech Fund. “`Sampling Human is great example of a promising startup with young, dynamic and capable leadership, an exacting business plan and, above all, cutting-edge technology that could revolutionize its industry.”
About Sampling Human
Sampling Human, Inc. is a synthetic biology diagnostics company developing novel methods for the early detection of disease. The company has developed simple and easy to perform diagnostic reagent kits for the liquid biopsy of healthy and diseased cells and a proprietary method of harnessing living cells to analyze other cells. The Company engineers and manufactures accessible tools that elevate sensitivity and increase speed of assay well beyond performance limits of complex instruments such as flow cytometry. Sampling Human’s novel platform, “Diagnostics On Target” (DOT), is a next generation cell diagnostics technology that translates vast amounts of single cell data into clinical practice to improve early disease detection and treatment monitoring. Learn more at www.samplinghuman.com.
About i&i Biotech Fund
i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio) is a Luxemburg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European Life Science companies focused on drug discoveries, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. With over €45M under management, i&i Bio plans to invest in about 20 early-stage companies. i&i Bio is led by an experienced team of professionals with backgrounds in private equity, healthcare and venture capital supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to global success. Thanks to close cooperation with the fund’s main sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies. For more information visit www.inibio.eu.
Contacts
Eric Tulin, AldenMC eric@aldenmc.com 203.450.6727