NEW YORK – Infectious disease diagnostic firm Karius has raised $165 million in a Series B financing round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
The Redwood City, California-based firm will use the funding to expand access to its microbial cell-free DNA technology to help doctors diagnose infectious diseases. Karius will also use the money to broaden clinical development and accelerate technology innovation.
The funding round also included new investors General Catalyst and HBM Healthcare Investments, as well as existing ventures Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
According to Karius, its sequencing technology integrates novel genomics and artificial intelligence approaches to detect and measure microbial cell-free DNA of more than 1,000 clinically relevant pathogens from a single blood sample. The firm believes that its test will help advise doctors as to the likely types and quantities of infectious microorganisms affecting their patients.
Karius said that the assay normally delivers next-day results.
"This transformative round will allow Karius to help more patients faster, fuel the next wave of clinical studies, and accelerate technology innovation," Karius CEO Mickey Kertesz said in a statement.
Karius previously raised $50 million in a Series A financing found in 2017.