Gene Editing Firm Editas Raises $120 Million Led by Bill Gates and Google

[Today's Highlights]

○ Mobile EHR company DrChrono raises $2 million
○ European researchers develop health-monitoring mirror
○ Gene-editing company Editas raises $120 million, with investment from Gates and Google
○ Yunsheng Medical Establishes Presence in “Internet + Big Health”

1. Mobile EHR Company DrChrono Raises $2 Million in Funding
Recently, drchrono, an electronic health record (EHR) company based in California, raised $2 million in funding, led by Runa Capital and Maxfield Capital. This brings the company’s total funding to at least $8.25 million.



Other investors include Yuri Milner, founder of DST Global, and Matt Cutts, one of the leaders of Google’s search quality team.

DrChrono’s electronic health record (EHR) system enables physicians to directly access and input patient medical data on Android and iOS mobile devices. The company also offers a patient-facing application called OnPatient, which allows patients to track their medical data and obtain health information from their providers.

In addition to the financing news, DrChrono also announced that it ranked first among electronic health record (EHR) systems in Black Book’s survey of more than 30,000 physicians.

2. European Researchers Develop Health-Checking Mirror
The European Union’s SEMEOTICONS consortium, comprising 11 research institutions, has developed a health-sensing mirror called the Wize Mirror. According to HIT Consultant, the Wize Mirror assesses cardiovascular and metabolic risks through facial signs and encourages users to adopt healthier lifestyles to mitigate health risks.



A paper on the Wize Mirror was published last month in Biosystems and Engineering.

Researchers explain that physical and facial features serve as indicators of an individual’s well-being. Wize Mirror employs non-contact sensors, such as 3D optical sensors, multispectral cameras, gas detection sensors, and microphones, to perform facial analysis. The gas detection sensors are used to monitor users’ breath, thereby collecting data on their alcohol consumption and smoking habits.

Data collected from the Wize Mirror will be used to extract biometric features and compositional profiles. Subsequently, Wize will generate a “Health Index” for the user.

Wize will continuously monitor users' health development, providing recommendations and guidance to help them improve their health. Users will be able to share their data on Wize, enabling them to receive direct guidance and support when needed.

Mirrors can be placed in users' homes, fitness and nutrition centers, pharmacies, and schools.

3. Gene-Editing Company Editas Raises $120 Million, with Investment from Gates and Google
Yesterday, gene-editing company Editas Medicine secured $120 million in financing, with investors including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google, Deerfield Management, and Khosla Ventures. This marks the largest investment Editas has received to date. The funds will be used to develop technologies capable of precisely editing genes and treating fatal genetic disorders.

Editas is developing therapeutic technologies leveraging CRISPR-Cas9. As one of the pioneers of CRISPR-Cas9, Editas was co-founded by Professor Feng Zhang, a scientist of Chinese descent. The company aims to utilize CRISPR genome-editing technology to correct disease-causing genes responsible for eye disorders, treat rare genetic diseases, and even enhance crop yields. However, Editas’ therapeutic approaches have not yet entered human clinical trials.

4. Yunsheng Medical’s Strategic Layout in “Internet + Big Health”
On August 10, Yunsheng Medical disclosed that it had signed a “Framework Cooperation Agreement on ‘Internet + Big Health’” with the Administrative Committee of Dafeng High-Tech Zone in Jiangsu Province during its trading suspension. Meanwhile, the company, together with the Administrative Committee of Dafeng High-Tech Zone and the Dafeng Municipal Health Bureau, entered into a tripartite “Framework Cooperation Agreement for the Dafeng Health Cloud Platform Project.” As Yunsheng Medical continues to expand its footprint in the “Internet + Big Health” sector, its stock hit the daily upper limit at the opening on the 11th, closing at RMB 15.80, up 10.03%.

According to the agreement, the proposed cooperation between Yuncheng Medical and Dafeng High-Tech Zone covers three aspects:

First, the two parties will jointly invest to establish Jiangsu Yunsheng Health Cloud Service Co., Ltd. Yunsheng plans to invest RMB 90 million, while Dafeng High-Tech Zone plans to invest RMB 10 million and provide Jiangsu Yunsheng with preferential policy support, including rent subsidies and tax incentives.

Second, to assist Yunsheng in signing the "Framework Agreement on Cooperation for the Dafeng Health Cloud Platform Project." It is preliminarily planned that Jiangsu Yunsheng will invest RMB 60 million in Phase I of the Dafeng Health Cloud Project, with no less than RMB 10 million invested in tangible assets within the Dafeng High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. Relevant departments of the Dafeng Municipal Government shall, under equal conditions, give priority to assisting Jiangsu Yunsheng in applying for relevant franchise rights, including but not limited to the operational rights for family doctor contract service management, online diagnosis and treatment services via internet hospitals, electronic pharmaceutical distribution, and the usage rights of health and clinical data.

Third, Yunsheng Medical will leverage its own resources to facilitate the establishment of a Jiangsu branch of the Rural Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in Dafeng, and on this basis, set up an online general practitioner training base in the Dafeng High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.