Genomics start-up Phosphorus raised $10 million to test fertility
Computational genomics startup Phosphorus has announced that it raised $10 million in a Series A led by FirstMark Capital.
Phosphorus is actually a spin-out from a previous genomics company and was established this year by Alexander Bisignano and Santiago Munne — the co-founders of reproductive genetics firm Recombine, which was acquired in May by CooperSurgical in a deal valued at $85 million — to build a genomic data network for healthcare providers, researchers, and patients. It also offers two genetic tests: HeartMap, which is designed to identify patients with a predisposition for sudden cardiac death due to cadiomyopathies and arrhythmias, and LipidMap, which tests for familial hypercholesterolemia.
In the sale, Recombine sold the tests themselves to CooperSurgical for expanded distribution, but kept the software platform and the data map.
Now Bisignano is looking to use that Recombine data map for his next venture, Phosphorus.
Phosphorus tackles a different thread in the tapestry of reproduction, testing couples for any possible signs of infertility. These tests allow customers to take preventative measures against any potential infertility, or simply let them know that they’re safe to start trying.
Because of the startup’s access to
troves of data, both through the new Phosphorus tests and the Recombine data, which asks its customers to opt-in to anonymously share their genomic data, Phosphorus can detect things that might be missed in another test.Part of the challenge for most physicians and clinical researchers is that they don’t have access to big enough sets of data to confirm their findings, or they simply don’t have the resources to parse through the large amounts of data they have.
Through the Phosphorus FertilityMap, physicians and researchers can tap into the Phosphorus product to conduct their own research. Meanwhile, fertility clinics and direct customers can use that data, and the resources necessary to interpret it, to reveal the direct links between our genes and our health.
“We have built Phosphorus as the hub of a new computational biology network. The network will continue to grow with the genetic data from the Recombine carrier screening test, and it will further expand as we launch clinical genetic tests in new disease areas, such as cardiology and infertility,” said Alexander Bisignano, CEO of Phosphorus.
“Our goal is to build a platform that enables labs across the world to easily offer the most advanced genetic tests, all while connecting within an ecosystem that becomes smarter and facilitates more accurate patient diagnosis as it grows.”
“Accessing the full utility of the human genome in medicine has been limited by a number of fundamental challenges. Providers often do not receive the resources to interpret increasingly complex genomic data. Many hospitals and laboratories lack the informatics and expertise to properly build and handle high-throughput sequencing. Researchers often lack access to useful clinical data that could help bridge the gap between our DNA and our health,” said Matt Turck, Managing Director at FirstMark Capital. “Phosphorus is approaching these challenges with integrated data-driven solutions that will ultimately enable better care for patients and more cost-effective solutions for payers.”
The New York City-based company said it would use the proceeds of the financing to hire new computer scientists, engineers, and geneticists, as well as to support the development of new clinical tests and software.
