Florida key as Syndex Bio follows $15.5m seed round with DNA product launch

mcPCR enables ‘PCR for methylation’, the high-fidelity copying of both DNA methylation and the four-base genetic code during DNA amplification. This overcomes a fundamental limitation of PCR, which cannot amplify DNA methylation patterns that are critical for the detection of many diseases, including cancer.

By enabling simpler, faster and more sensitive analysis of methylated DNA, mcPCR will help to transform the testing of clinical samples, especially in non-invasive and small-sample biopsies for early disease detection and recurrence monitoring.

Syndex Bio has also confirmed the successful close of an oversubscribed $15.5 million seed financing led by ARCH Venture Partners, with participation from +ND Capital, OMX Ventures and Meltwind.

The funds will support expansion of the mcPCR platform, development of clinical workflows and applications, and build‑out of the company’s R & D footprint in the Cambridge Cluster. In conjunction with the financing, Gautam Kollu, former Chief Commercial Officer of Grail, joins the newly formed Board of Directors alongside Patrick Weiss (Chairman), Geoff Smith, Sean Kendall, and Eric Moessinger. An initial team of 17 people is currently based at The Press in Foxton, which has a mainline rail link to London.

Founder and CEO Geoff Smith said: “Syndex Bio’s mcPCR platform makes amplifying DNA methylation possible for the first time. This powerful method will redefine the sensitivity and accuracy that is achievable in DNA methylation analysis, opening new possibilities for early detection and disease monitoring. “We’re honoured to have the support of world‑class investors and advisers as we advance toward clinical translation.”

Gautam Kollu added: “The mcPCR platform removes the technical barriers that have long limited epigenetics, finally allowing us to tap into the highest-value segments of the molecular diagnostics market. This capability is essential for expanding precise clinical testing across diverse disease areas, where sensitivity has historically been the bottleneck. I look forward to helping the team bring such a high-impact platform technology to the global stage.”

Sean Kendall, Board Member at Syndex Bio and Partner at ARCH Venture Partners, said: “This milestone is testament to Syndex Bio’s talented team and their extraordinary efforts in launching this foundational technology.

“We believe mcPCR holds the potential to elevate the accuracy and speed of cancer screening and diagnosis and look forward to seeing the company continue to go from strength to strength.” 

The senior management team at Syndex Bio has experience to burn. Smith has spent his career at the forefront of next-generation sequencing and molecular technology innovation.

Prior to founding Syndex Bio in 2022, he spent over a decade at Illumina as Global Head of Technology Development, where he led the invention and development of the benchtop MiSeq platform, the world’s most popular sequencer, as well as the upfront library prep and sequencing chemistry that drove an approximately 100,000‑fold reduction in sequencing costs and the ‘$1000 genome’.

Before Illumina, he played a key role at Solexa, directing enzymology efforts that delivered the first whole human genome using NGS chemistry. Beyond his operating roles, Geoff has served as an independent board member and strategic advisor to multiple genomics and synthetic biology startups. He holds a PhD and MA in Biochemistry and Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge.