Tag: 54gene

Healthtech startup 54gene secures US$25m Series B round to advance its capabilities

Frank

NIGERIA – 54gene, a health technology company advancing African genomics research for improved global health outcomes, has secured US$25 million in a Series B round to advance its capabilities to contribute to global drug discovery. The round was led by Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund and also included participation from Adjuvant Capital, KdT Ventures, Plexo Capital, Endeavor Capital, Ingressive Capital and others, brings 54gene’s total investment to date to more than US$45 million. “It’s truly incredible to witness the impact of African scientists in global research and it is critical to…

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54gene partners with Paradigm4 to solve healthcare biggest challenges

Frank

NIGERIA – Paradigm4, a specialist in scientific data management and scalable computation, has signed an agreement with 54gene, a health technology company deriving insights from the world’s most diverse populations to solve some of healthcare’s biggest challenges. The agreement will allow 54gene to use Paradigm4’s REVEALTM Biobank app to explore, characterize and query the growing repository of data that constitutes 54gene’s pioneering African Health Information Ecosystem, which is a highly curated, unique data source of clinical, phenotypic and genetic information from which insights can be generated that lead to new…

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54Gene Launches Africa’s First Private Lab for Human Genome Sequencing

Frank

NIGERIA – 54Gene, a health tech startup, has announced the completion of a lab capable of carrying out whole genome sequencing of humans. Abasi Ene-Obong, the startup’s CEO, said the lab is powered by Novaseq 6000, a best-in-class sequencing technology solution produced by American biotech company Illumina. Located in Nigeria, this lab is the product of a partnership between Illumina and 54Gene announced in the first week of September. The African genome is believed to be the oldest human genome. As such, Africa has more genetic diversity than any other…

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Endeavor Catalyst to help founders of Kenyan and Nigerian startups to scale operations

Frank

NIGERIA/KENYA – Endeavor catalyst, an innovative co-investment vehicle has accepted the founders of Kenya’s Apollo Agriculture and Nigeria’s 54gene into its global network of entrepreneurs. The founders of the two startups are expected to gain access to various support services to help their companies scale. The Endeavor initiative works to catalyse long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs worldwide. The initiative has accepted a host of African entrepreneurs into its network in recent years, most recently at the end of May. At its recent seventh…

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Nigerian startup 54gene partners US firm Illumina to advance genomics research in Africa

Frank

NIGERIA – Nigerian genetics startup 54gene has partnered US firm Illumina to power the creation of a world-class genomics facility in Lagos which will be used in advancing genomics research in Africa. According to a report by Disrupt Africa the genomics facility will be equipped with a suite of Illumina’s cutting-edge sequencing and high-density microarray technology platforms, which will generate genetic information for health research and drug development. Illumina will also deliver its renowned training to support the use of its sequencing and microarray equipment and ensure ongoing support for…

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54gene secures US$15m Series A funding round to scale operations

Frank

NIGERIA – 54gene, an African genomics research, services, and development startup, has closed a Series A round of US$15 million to allow it to scale operations.The startup raised a US$4.5 million seed round last year, and has now secured US$15 million in Series A capital in a round led by Adjuvant Capital, a life sciences fund backed by the International Finance Corporation, Novartis, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The round included participation from Raba Capital, V8 Capital, and Ingressive Capital, as well as follow-on investment from Y Combinator,…

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