Enhanc3D Genomics raises £10m in Series A financing

Existing private investors and Bioqube Ventures participated in Enhanc3D Genomics’ Series A financing. The company said it will use the proceeds to accelerate the development of its proprietary technology platform GenLink3D^TM that allows to rapidly and deeply decode the 3D structure and thus activity non-coding genome to identify new biomarkers and drug targets for asset development.

Initially, Enhanc3D Genomicst plan is to generate large datasets across multiple immune-cell types that have broad relevance to auto-immune diseases, cancer and ageing. Enhanc3D will also be expanding its team, moving into larger facilities in Cambridge’s St John’s Innovation Centre, providing the infrastructure to support the next growth phase of the company.

Dr Chris Torrance, a cancer researcher and biotechnology entrepreneur, will join Enhanc3D’s Board as Non-Executive Chair. Dr Torrance is the founder and Chairman of Phoremost, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to ‘Drugging the Undruggable’. Dr Torrance previously founded Horizon Discovery in 2007, which became the fastest growing biotech company in the UK by 2014.

Spun out from Professor Peter Fraser’s labo, which pioneered investigation of the dynamic spatial organisation of the genome at the Babraham Institute, Enhanc3D’s vision is to unlock the full potential of the human genome by decoding its 3D architecture. Current whole-genome sequencing techniques only provide a linear view of our DNA, while the 3D organisation modulates biological processes which are crucial for cell differentiation and development.

The company’s platform integrates molecular biology technologies with machine learning to map the 3D DNA structure at high resolution to capture promoters and previously unseen genetic markers. While the platform has a breadth of potential therapeutic applications, Enhanc3D will initially focus on identifying novel biomarkers for patient stratification and treatment targets for cancer, ageing and autoimmune conditions.