eGenesis Secures $38M Series A Funding to Advance CRISPR-Edited Xenotransplantation Therapies

eGenesis is a U.S. biotechnology company focused on applying gene-edited xenotransplantation technologies to clinical medical procedures. Yesterday, the American biotech firm announced that eGenesis had secured $38 million in Series A financing. Headquartered in Massachusetts, eGenesis was co-founded in 2014 by Harvard University genetics pioneer George Church and young Chinese scientist Luhan Yang.

This round of financing was led by Biomatics Capital and ARCH Venture Partners, with participation from Khosla Ventures, Alta Partners, Alexandria Venture Investments, Berggruen Holdings North America, Uprising, and Fan Ventures. In addition, Daniel S. Lynch will join eGenesis as Executive Chairman.

Xenotransplantation refers to the transplantation of tissues from one species into another. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicate that more than 118,000 people in the United States are awaiting organ transplants, with approximately 22 individuals dying each day due to organ failure. Xenotransplantation holds significant market potential in the healthcare sector, as it enables the generation of tissues or organs required for human cell-based therapies.

eGenesis leverages its proprietary CRISPR gene-editing platform to culture human healthy cells or tissue organs in pigs. Currently, this technology remains in its early stages.

“Although there are still certain technical challenges at present, we believe that our technology can help patients in need of organ transplants escape the threat of death,” said Yang Lushan, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder. “Following this financing round, we will continue our technological research. We hope to bring new hope to patients requiring organ transplants by leveraging safe and effective methods to translate xenotransplantation technology into practical clinical applications.”

Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, Luhan Yang

Luhan Yang graduated from Peking University and later studied under George Church at Harvard University, where she conducted research on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system and earned her Ph.D. Since 2011, Dr. Yang has published dozens of papers in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature Communications, and Nature Medicine, with her most-cited single paper garnering over 3,000 citations. In 2014, she was named by Forbes magazine to its annual “30 Under 30” list in the science and healthcare category. Just hours before the announcement of her company’s Series A financing, Dr. Yang was selected as a 2017 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum—a double celebration for both the company and her personally.

Following the financing, Dr. Boris Nikolic from Biomatic Capital and Dr. Steven Gillis from ARCH Venture Partners will join the company’s board of directors alongside Luhan Yang, while Daniel Lynch, a seasoned veteran in the biotechnology sector, will serve as Executive Chairman. With over 25 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, Lynch has held key positions at ImClone Systems, Avila Therapeutics, and Stromedix.

“I am delighted to join the team at eGenesis. With so many people awaiting transplantable organs, the company’s work is truly groundbreaking,” said Lynch. “I believe eGenesis will transform gene editing and transplantation medicine, and I am proud to be part of such a team.”

In addition to Luhan Yang, eGenesis’s scientific team includes synthetic biology pioneer Marc Güell and seven scientists from Harvard University, with expertise spanning gene editing, synthetic biology, and transgenic animal science.

“eGenesis has assembled a team of scientists who are world leaders in the field of gene technology, aiming to address the needs of patients in the organ transplant market,” said Boris Nikolic, Managing Director at Biomatics Capital. “The concept of xenotransplantation has been around for decades and holds significant potential in the field of organ transplantation. Now, with eGenesis’s technological breakthroughs, this technology is moving from science fiction to reality.”