NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Twist Bioscience announced today that it has raised $27 million in venture financing, completing a $60 million financing it began in March.
The new funding includes a key investment from Biomatics Capital as well as new investors Reinet Fund, NFT Investment Limited, Kangmei Group, Bay City Capital GF Xinde Life Science Investment Fund, 3W Partners Capital, and Ditch Plains Capital Management.
The company has raised a total of $191 million since its inception. Twist offers synthetic DNA manufacturing services for genes, oligonucleotide pools, and variant libraries, and is developing methods to use DNA for data storage. Twist said it will use the funding to facilitate growth in its gene synthesis business, and will increase investment in drug discovery and DNA digital data storage.
"We have built a truly disruptive, scalable DNA synthesis technology platform that is now operating on a commercial scale, providing customers in many different synthetic biology-driven industries with products to accelerate their research and product development efforts," Twist CEO Emily Leproust said in a statement. "Importantly, with top-tier investors and strategic partners standing behind us, we look forward to rapidly advancing the growth of our core gene synthesis market, and expanding our focus into two key vertical markets, drug discovery and DNA digital data storage."
Twist is currently involved in a lawsuit with Agilent Technologies, which alleges that Twist and certain executives stole genomics technology. Twist has denied the charges.