UK synthetic biology startup LabGenius raises $3.66 million seed round

LabGenius, a London-based synthetic biology startup, has raised $3.66 million in seed funding led by Kindred Capital and Acequia Capital.

Other participants in the round include firms Berggruen Holdings, Backed VC, Beast Ventures, and System.One and investors Charlie Songhurst, former head of corporate strategy at Microsoft, and Tom McInerney, founder of TGM Ventures.

The company is building technology with AI for the development of new materials. The new funds will be used to open an R&D centre in London and further develop its autonomous AI-driven evolution engine, EVA.

“EVA is a Silicon Scientist hooked up to a bank of liquid handling robots. By combining intelligence with empirical exploration, EVA is able to iteratively learn through conducting its own scientific experiments,” explained Dr James Field, CEO of the company.

“Right now, EVA is unpicking Nature’s design rules with unparalleled speed and dexterity. Once equipped with this knowledge, EVA will give us the ability to engineer life with unprecedented control,” he said. “Critically, this technology will give us the ability to harness new materials and therapies that we do not or even cannot fully understand.”