Helix, a San Francisco-based genomics company, has teamed up with Illumina Accelerator, a startup creation engine also based in the Bay Area.
Through the collaboration, they will partner with entrepreneurs looking to promote innovation in the genomics space.
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Are you a startup interested in being part of this alliance? If so, you should be developing a DNA-driven product geared toward consumers. The deadline to apply is less than two weeks away (September 1). All qualified startups will compete against other companies that will be assessed by Illumina Accelerator.
Selected entrepreneurs will gain access to Helix’s team of experts, who have experience in everything from regulatory affairs to business development to bioinformatics.
Helix itself is an Illumina spinout — it was created in 2015 from a partnership between Illumina, Warburg Pincus and Sutter Hill Ventures. The goal was to become a digital hub for consumers to obtain genetic tests and complementary services from third parties.
Since then, the company has partnered with multiple organizations, including Good Start Genetics and Duke University, to advance its mission. Most recently, it launched an online marketplace for consumer-facing products that provide information on ancestry, family, health and fitness.
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In a statement, Helix CEO Robin Thurston commented on the new alliance:
From an entrepreneur’s perspective, cost pressures, stringent regulatory and data security requirements and continually evolving sequencing technologies are barriers to designing, developing, scaling up and commercializing DNA-powered products for everyday life. Through our collaboration with Illumina Accelerator, we hope to provide breakthrough startups with the resources, infrastructure and support to transform their ideas into compelling consumer applications and services that make genomics relevant and accessible to every person based on their unique interests.
As for Illumina Accelerator, it recently unveiled its sixth cycle of startups. The class included five companies: Checkerspot, Chimera Bioengineering, Encompass Bioscience, Mantra Bio and Solarea Bio. The accelerator operates on a six-month funding cycle, giving startups the chance to gain seed funding and business assistance.
As Illumina CTO and cofounder of Illumina Accelerator Mostafa Ronaghi noted in a statement:
Illumina Accelerator is focused on driving value for genomics startups by providing access to vital resources such as capital, sequencing and genomics expertise, coaching and local lab and office space. By working with Helix during our seventh funding cycle, select startups will have unparalleled access to Helix’s commercial market expertise and sequencing platform for their consumer applications.
Photo: iLexx, Getty Images
