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DNA Script, a pioneer in Enzymatic DNA Synthesis (EDS) with headquarters in Paris and South San Francisco, announced that it has secured €176.8M ($200m) in a Series C round of funding. With this latest financing, DNA Script has raised a total of €278.5M ($315M) to date and will accelerate the commercial launch of its DNA printing technology.

Fund utilisation

The completion of the Series C financing builds upon a €145.9M tranche announced by the company last year. The proceeds from this funding will help DNA Script commercialise its SYNTAX Platform based on its proprietary EDS technology. The SYNTAX is like a 3D printer for printing DNA using enzymatic DNA printing technology.

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“SYNTAX is the first step toward creating a new paradigm for DNA and RNA synthesis. With the support of our investors, we look forward to continuing to advance this new paradigm to solve some of our largest challenges and advance human health,” said Thomas Ybert, co-founder and CEO of DNA Script.

The SYNTAX platform allows scientists to rapidly print synthetic nucleic acids for genomics and molecular biology applications at the convenience of their labs. The on-demand printing enables labs to iterate without waiting for days or weeks to receive their genetic material from third-party service providers.

DNA Script: what you need to know

DNA Script is a Paris-based disruptive DNA synthesis company that aims to harness biology for breakthroughs in life science and human health. It was founded by Sylvain Gariel, Thomas Ybert and Xavier Godron in 2014, and has expanded to create a dedicated US headquarters in South San Francisco.

The SYNTAX Platform from DNA Script based on its proprietary EDS technology offers huge benefits over centralised, third-party DNA as a service offering. The Enzymatic DNA Synthesis allows for the methods and performances to continuously improve and the whole process occurs in aqueous solution unlike centralised services which use harsh chemicals. It is also simple with integrated experience and accessible to any lab.

The turnaround time is certain with oligos produced in the customer’s lab and users can schedule the runs to align with their downstream needs. From start to finish, users can achieve same day results and for increased efficiency, they can even run the SYNTAX Platform overnight. One of the big advantages of EDS-based SYNTAX is that customers get to control which oligos get printed in every run. The centralised processing does not offer similar benefits and often runs the risk of mixing up orders.

The SYNTAX Platform relies on a 2-step EDS process where pre-synthesis involves combining solid support with initiator DNA (iDNA). It is followed by synthesis where the TdT enzyme adds a single nucleotide to the iDNA for elongation and the reversible terminator of the nucleotide is removed, which leaves the strand ready for elongation again. These steps are repeated until the longest oligo on the plate is completed. Lastly, the post-synthesis process produces desalted, quantified, and normalised oligos for molecular biology workflow.

DNA Script has partnered with French Defence Innovation Agency and French Armament General Directorate to “improve the ability to rapidly iterate and optimise qPCR assays in response to emerging biothreats.” The company has also received a contract from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) for their Molecular Information Storage (MIST) program.

DNA Script received CE marking for its SYNTAX Platform late last year that paved the way for the company to commercially sell the device in Europe. It plans to commercially launch the device in both the US and Europe by early this year.

Investors

The second tranche of the Series C financing saw participation from accounts and funds advised by T. Rowe Price Associates and Baillie Gifford. They were joined by Healthcor Management, eureKARE, and Irving Investors. The first tranche of the Series C financing had seen participation from Coatue Management, Catalio Capital Management, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Casdin Capital, and other investors.

“We are thrilled to partner with this world-class group of investors, including new participants Baillie Gifford and T. Rowe Price, who collectively share our vision to increase access to oligo manufacturing to accelerate the bio-revolution,” Thomas Ybert added.

T. Rowe Price Associates is a global investment management firm that works on the principle that if clients succeed, the firm will succeed. The Baltimore headquartered firm was founded in 1937 and has assets worth €1.42T under management. It has over 80 years of experience in investment in Europe with the first European fund introduced in 1980.

Baillie Gifford is an independent investment firm managing pension funds, investment trusts, unit trusts and ISAs. Founded in 1908, the UK-based Baillie Gifford is unique for its independent private partnership despite the large-scale investment business. The diverse investment team invests in genetics and innovative healthcare, digital networks and is focussed on investing for a post-carbon world.