Estonian-founded biotech ExpressionEdits raises $13M in a seed funding

ExpressionEdits, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company optimizing protein expression using AI and proprietary intronization technology, has raised $13 million in a seed funding round. Octopus Ventures and redalpine co-led the investment. The funding will accelerate the startup’s product development and candidate selection for preclinical studies.

About ExpressionEdits

• Founded in 2021 by Dr Kärt Tomberg, Professor Allan Bradley, Dr Leopold Parts, and Dr Liliana Antunes, based on research from the University of Cambridge, ExpressionEdits is a biotechnology company dedicated to enhancing protein expression using advanced AI and proprietary intron technology.

• ExpressionEdits aims to advance genetic medicine through its intronization technology revolutionizes gene design by mimicking the natural genetic landscape. By strategically incorporating multiple short noncoding DNA sequences known as introns into artificial genes, ExpressionEdits has achieved enhancements in gene expression which leads to better protein production.

At ExpressionEdits, we’re revolutionizing gene expression by putting introns back where they belong, resulting in significant improvements in production. Our platform empowers precise decisions on which introns to use, where to place them, and how many, unlocking unprecedented levels of protein expression,

Dr. Kärt Tomberg, CEO & co-founder of ExpressionEdits, said.

Investment details

• Octopus Ventures is one of the lead investors during the round. It is one of the largest and most active venture capital investors in the UK and Europe, having invested in more than 180 businesses to date.
• redalpine also co-led the round. It is a Swiss venture capital firm with over €1 billion in assets under management.
• Other participants in the round are: BlueYard Capital, Wilbe Capital, Acequia Capital, Amino Collective, and Hawktail.

The funding will accelerate candidate selection for preclinical studies and develop a pipeline of protein-based therapeutics. The primary focus for the pipeline will be recombinant proteins.