Ginkgo Bioworks to Build Infrastructure for Rapid Epidemic Response with $70MM Investment
05/28/20, 10:08 AM
Location
bostonMoney raised
$70 million
Industry
sustainability
science and engineering
software
biotechnology
manufacturing
Today, Ginkgo Bioworks is announcing a $70MM investment from Illumina (Nasdaq: ILMN) and existing Ginkgo investors, General Atlantic and Viking Global Investors. This will enable Ginkgo to build the infrastructure that could enable rapid epidemic response. Large-scale testing is essential for slowing the spread of viruses; for COVID-19, experts suggest millions of tests are needed per day in the United States to control this epidemic. Ginkgo aims to achieve unprecedented scale with its automation capabilities, leveraging Illumina's next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to enable widespread testing for COVID-19.
Company Info
Location
boston, massachusetts, united states
Additional Info
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization, and therapeutics discovery.