Aignostics Secures $34 Million Series B to Enhance Precision Medicine with AI
Aignostics Secures $34 Million Series B to Enhance Precision Medicine with AI
Investments will support new product offerings, US expansion, and development of pathology foundation models.
BERLIN, GERMANY and NEW YORK, NY (October 29, 2024) – Aignostics, a global artificial intelligence (AI) company that turns complex multi-modal pathology data into transformative insights, announced today that it has raised $34 million in Series B financing. This additional funding will be used to build new product offerings for biopharmaceutical clients, fuel growth within the United States (US), and develop leading foundation models for pathology in collaboration with Mayo Clinic. The oversubscribed funding round was led by ATHOS, with investments from Mayo Clinic and growth financing from HTGF, alongside support from existing investors Wellington Partners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, CARMA Fund, and VC Fonds Technologie managed by IBB Ventures. In total, Aignostics has now raised over $55 million, reflecting investors’ confidence in its differentiated AI models and clear commercial strategy.
As precision medicine becomes more nuanced and complex, biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to AI to enhance the utility, performance, and scalability of computational pathology analyses for drug development and diagnostics. In parallel, machine learning technologies are rapidly evolving, producing AI models with record accuracy and robustness, opening new avenues for biopharmaceutical research and diagnostics.
“At its core, Aignostics is a world-class machine learning company,” said Julian Zachmann from ATHOS. “The field is advancing so quickly that, in order to succeed, AI companies need to avoid flashy distractions, stay laser focused on the highest-quality science, and relentlessly innovate. Aignostics is doing just that and bringing a level of transparency and rigor to its biopharmaceutical clients that we think is truly unique.”
“We know that digital pathology, paired with the vast capabilities of AI, has immense potential to impact diagnosis and treatment for patients. Mayo Clinic is actively charting the new frontier of predictive and personalized care,” shared Jim Rogers, CEO of Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology.
The new funding will strengthen Aignostics’ offerings for target ID, translational research, and companion diagnostics (CDx), and support several strategic initiatives, including:
- Launch of scaled “plug-and-play” products for a range of indications and tasks, including tumor microenvironment and biomarker profiling.
- Continued expansion into the US with additional headcount and support for US partners.
- Collaborative development of foundation models and biopharma product offerings with Mayo Clinic.
“2024 has been a pivotal year for us that has included a major strategic collaboration with Bayer and the launch of our first foundation model, RudolfV,” said Viktor Matyas, CEO and Co-Founder of Aignostics. “With RudolfV, we’ve gained the ability to quickly develop cost-efficient algorithms that generalize to the real-world. Now with this new round of funding, we’re turning our most popular algorithms into products that will help usher in an era of truly generalizable AI for computational pathology.”
About Aignostics
Aignostics is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that turns complex multimodal pathology data into transformative insights. By combining proprietary access to multimodal clinical data, industry-leading technologies, and rigorous science, Aignostics develops best-in-class products and services for the next generation of precision medicine. Through collaborations with its biopharma partners, Aignostics supports drug discovery, translational research, clinical trials, and CDx development. Established in 2018, Aignostics is a spin-off from Charité Berlin, one of the world’s largest and most esteemed university hospitals. Aignostics is funded by leading investors and has operations in Berlin and New York.
More information at: www.aignostics.com
Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aignostics
About ATHOS
With its heritage in healthcare and life sciences, ATHOS is a single-family office that supports entrepreneurs to positively impact health and well-being. Known to the broader public as the long-term majority investor of BioNTech, ATHOS remains committed to advancing medical innovation and building transformative companies for the future.
About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing start-ups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports start-ups in all phases of development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in the pre-seed and seed phase and participates significantly in further financing rounds, since 2024 with the HTGF Opportunity growth fund. Across its funds, HTGF has over 2 billion euros under management. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 750 start-ups and successfully sold shares in more than 180 companies. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital and numerous companies are invested in the HTGF seed funds. Investors in the HTGF Opportunity growth fund include the ERP Special Fund and KfW with the resources of the Zukunftsfonds (“Future Fund”).
More information at: www.htgf.de
Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/high-tech-gruenderfonds
Seamless Therapeutics to Present New Data at ESGCT Demonstrating its Ability to Reprogram Large Serine Recombinases to Specific Target Sites in the Human Genome
Seamless Therapeutics to Present New Data at ESGCT Demonstrating its Ability to Reprogram Large Serine Recombinases to Specific Target Sites in the Human Genome
Proprietary approach enables efficient and precise integration of gene-sized DNA cargo
Seamless’ zinc-finger dependent recombinases show superior target site specificity for gene editing
Data will be presented in two presentations at the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Congress 2024
Dresden, Germany, and Lexington, MA, October 22, 2024 – Seamless Therapeutics today announced that it will be presenting new preclinical data, including human cell data, highlighting its unique platform’s capabilities to reprogram large serine recombinases (LSRs) to target naturally occurring loci in the human genome. The company’s recombinases are engineered to precisely excise, exchange, invert, or insert gene-sized DNA fragments in any target gene sequence, independent of the cell’s natural DNA repair pathway. In addition, Seamless will be presenting data on its engineered zinc-finger dependent recombinases, demonstrating its ability to condition the activity of the company’srecombinases to zinc-finger binding for LSRs and tyrosine recombinases (Y-SSRs). Both datasets are presented in poster sessions during the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Congress 2024, held from October 22 – 25, in Rome, Italy.
“The data that we will be presenting at the 2024 ESGCT Congress serve as an initial validation of our innovative approach and positions us at the forefront of next-generation gene editing technologies for developing therapeutics. We are showcasing our ability to program recombinases to recognize user defined target sequences, bypassing the need for preinserted target sites and enabling seamless, efficient, and precise DNA sequence integration,” said Albert Seymour, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Seamless Therapeutics. “Our nearterm objective is to translate these exciting findings into an in vivo model, paving our way toward progressing to the clinic. Long-term, we aim to demonstrate the technology’s significant potential for creating a new class of therapeutics for indications affecting patient populations in areas of high unmet need.”
Presentation Details:
P0670 – Reprogramming Large Serine Recombinases for Site-Specific Integration into Mammalian Genomes
Presenter: Teresa Rojo-Romanos, PhD, Co-founder and Head of Technology & Platform Development at Seamless
Poster Session: Poster Session IV
Presentation Date & Time: Thursday, October 24, 6:00 – 7:30 pm CEST.
Presentation Location: Concourse Level -1 and Mezzanine Concourse
Seamless’ proprietary search motif enables identification of target sites in nearly all coding genes and putative human safe harbor sites, allowing for broad applicability that is not limited to pre-existing targets with high homology to wild-type recombinase recognition sites. Through directed evolution and rational design, the company engineered LSRs to recognize four natural selected target sites in the human genome. In the study, the engineered LSRs clones demonstrated high activity in bacterial cells, with good translation of activity to human cells. The selected engineered LSR, IntSTX-SH2, showed its ability to precisely integrate DNA sequences into the specific SH2 locus in human cells. Seamless further optimized the programmed LSR to IntSTX-SH2 2.0, resulting in a three-fold increase in activity as compared to the first generation and with the potential for further improvement. The company’s pioneering approach for efficient and precise integration of gene-sized DNA cargo is advancing into in vivo studies, focusing on the liver as production site for metabolic enzymes.
P0590 – Zinc-Finger Dependent Recombinases for Precision Genome Editing
Presenter: Liliya Mukhametzyanova, Sr. Scientist at Seamless
Poster Session: Poster Session IV
Presentation Date & Time: Thursday, October 24, 6:00 – 7:30 pm CEST.
Presentation Location: Concourse Level -1 and Mezzanine Concourse
In this study, Seamless identified insertion sites for zinc-finger binding domains (ZFDs) within tyrosine recombinases (Y-SSRs) and LSRs as well as evolved variants. The zinc-fingerconditioned evolved variants were shown to be inactive without the DNA target site for the ZFD and reactivated if the DNA target site was present, ensuring that gene editing only occurs at the intended sites. The company’s approach for evolving ZFDs improves the efficiency of recombinases and increases their specificity, broadening Seamless’ suite of DNA editing techniques.
About Seamless Therapeutics
Seamless Therapeutics is changing the paradigm of gene editing through a pioneering approach that has the potential to address unmet medical needs in patients with severe conditions. Our technology platform unlocks the reprogramming of recombinases, a highly versatile class of enzymes. We are applying our proprietary know-how to develop a pipeline of disease-modifying product candidates across a broad spectrum of indications to expand the therapeutic potential of gene editing.
About Seamless Therapeutics
Seamless Therapeutics is changing the paradigm of gene editing through a pioneering approach to restore health in patients with severe conditions in a safe and precise manner. Our technology platform unlocks the reprogramming of recombinases, a highly versatile class of enzymes. We are applying our proprietary know-how to develop a pipeline of disease-modifying product candidates across a broad spectrum of indications to expand the therapeutic potential of gene editing.
About Wellington Partners
Wellington Partners is a leading European venture capital firm investing in the most promising early- and growth stage life science companies in the fields of biotechnology, therapeutics, medical technology, diagnostics and digital health. With funds totaling more than €1.2 billion, thereof €590 million committed to life sciences, Wellington Partners has been actively supporting world class private companies translating true innovation into successful businesses with exceptional growth. To date, Wellington Partners has invested in 56 innovative life science companies, including Actelion (acquired by J&J), Definiens (acquired by AZ), Immatics (Nasdaq: IMTX). invendo (acquired by Ambu), MTM Laboratories (acquired by Roche/Ventana), Oxford Immunotec (acquired by PerkinElmer), Rigontec (acquired by MSD), Symetis (acquired by Boston Scientific), and Themis (acquired by MSD).
About Forbion
Forbion is a dedicated life sciences venture capital firm with offices in The Netherlands, Germany and Singapore. Forbion invests in life sciences companies that are active in the (bio) pharmaceutical space. Forbion manages well over EUR 2.3 billion across multiple fund strategies that cover all stages of (bio-) pharmaceutical drug development. Forbion’s current team consists of over 30 life sciences investment professionals that have built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with investments in 95 companies. Besides financial objectives, Forbion selects investments that will positively affect the health and wellbeing of patients. The firm is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Forbion operates a joint venture with BioGeneration Ventures (BGV), the manager of seed and early-stage funds, especially focused on Benelux and Germany.
About BMBF GO-Bio
The BMBF funding initiative GO-Bio supports life science researchers with innovative ideas who are looking to go into business. It provides excellent conditions from an early project stage on for a successful switch from the lab to the economy.
https://www.go-bio.de/gobio/de/go-bio/go-bio/go-bio_node.html
For more information, please contact:
Seamless Therapeutics
Dr. Anne-K. Heninger, CEO
Phone: +49 351 212 469 0
Email:
Seamless Therapeutics media inquiries
Trophic Communications
Desmond James / Stephanie May
Tel: +49 1516 7859086 or +49 171 1855682
Email:
Beckman Coulter and SphingoTec Partner to Improve Kidney Health Assessment in Critical Care
Beckman Coulter and SphingoTec Partner to Improve Kidney Health Assessment in Critical Care
- Alliance marks first penKid licensing agreement for high throughput immunoassay.
- Partnership leverages SphingoTec's proficiency in acute kidney injury testing, and Beckman Coulter’s extensive, globally installed Access Family of immunoassay analyzers.
Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany, October 9, 2024 – Diagnostic company SphingoTec GmbH (“SphingoTec”) today announced a new partnership with Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Inc. (“Beckman Coulter”). Through this collaboration, the companies will bring an assay for SphingoTec’s innovative kidney function biomarker, Proenkephalin 119-159 (penKid), to Beckman Coulter’s extensive test menu for use on the Access Family of Immunoassay Analyzers. This alliance marks the first central laboratory license for a penKid assay and aims to significantly enhance the diagnostic capabilities for acute kidney injury (AKI) globally, by leveraging Beckman Coulter’s global installed base of instruments.
PenKid is a real-time biomarker in plasma designed to address critical gaps in the standard diagnostic practices for AKI, particularly in critical care environments. Specifically, scientific evidence shows that, unlike current methods, a penKid assay offers early detection of kidney function decline, unaffected by inflammation, potentially enabling earlier intervention and improved patient outcomes (1,2,3). The incidence of AKI is increasing in both hospital and community settings; it is estimated that more than 13 million people are affected by AKI annually worldwide (4, 5).
Under the terms of the agreement, Beckman Coulter will develop and validate a fully automated diagnostic test for penKid, leveraging SphingoTec’s IVD certified assay. This assay has already been implemented as a routine test in the first university hospitals. This collaborative effort will facilitate high-throughput availability of penKid assays in central laboratories, supporting critical care physicians with the ability for timely and precise kidney health assessment.
“Acute kidney injury exerts a profound impact on patients globally, complicates acute and chronic illnesses frequently resulting in poor outcomes, and rivals many other critical diseases in its severity and consequences,” said Kevin O’Reilly, President, at Beckman Coulter Diagnostics. “The published evidence for penKid testing combined with SphingoTec’s scientific expertise provides an exciting opportunity to improve kidney health management. Working with SphingoTec, our goal is to expand access to and improve workflow from this important kidney health innovation underscoring our commitment to enhancing patient care worldwide.”
Deborah Bergmann, Managing Director and CEO of SphingoTec, emphasized, “The development of a penKid-based assay for use on Beckman Coulter’s globally installed immunoassay platforms represents a significant step toward realizing our vision of transforming diagnostic innovation into tangible patient benefits. This partnership accelerates our mission to deliver precise, actionable insights to clinicians worldwide, ultimately improving outcomes for patients suffering from acute kidney injury.”
References:
- Beunders et al. Assessing GFR With Proenkephalin, Kidney International Reports, 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2023.08.006
- Caironi et al., Circulating proenkephalin, acute kidney injury, and its improvement in patients with severe sepsis or shock. Clin Chem (2018) https://doi.org/10.1373/clinchem.2018.288068
- Lin, LC., et al. Proenkephalin as a biomarker correlates with acute kidney injury: a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis. Crit Care 27, 481 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-023-04747-5
- Mehta RL et al. International Society of Nephrology’s 0by25 initiative for acute kidney injury (zero preventable deaths by 2025): a human rights case for nephrology. Lancet. 2015 Jun 27;385(9987):2616–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60126-X
- Susantitaphong P et al. World incidence of AKI: a meta-analysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013 Sep;8(9):1482–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.2215/CJN.00710113
About SphingoTec
SphingoTec GmbH (“SphingoTec”; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) is a commercial-stage diagnostic company focusing on innovative critical care biomarkers for diagnosing, predicting, and monitoring acute medical conditions. SphingoTec’s innovative markers are made available on different IVD platforms. SphingoTec’s proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Proenkephalin A 119-159 (penKid), a biomarker for the assessment of kidney function in critical diseases, and bioactive Adrenomedullin 1-52 (bio-ADM), a biomarker for the assessment of endothelial function in conditions like sepsis. Discover more on www.sphingotec.com
Contact:
Ruxandra Lenz
Head of Marketing and Communication
SphingoTec GmbH
Phone +49-3302-20565-0
Email: