Dive Brief:
- Hotly watched biotech Editas has raised $120 million in a megaround intended to fuel two years' worth of research.
- One striking name on the list of Editas' backers this time? Microsoft founder and tech billionaire Bill Gates.
- Editas is working on a CRISP/Cas9 gene editing platform with the aim of tackling conditions such as Leber congenital amaurosis and sickle cell anemia.
Dive Insight:
Other names on Editas' backers list include a who's who of venture firms, according to FierceBiotech, including Google Ventures, Deerfield Management, Fidelity, Flagship Ventures, and others.
While genome editing is one of the hottest research areas in biotech, companies focusing on these technologies are still a ways away from reaching the market. Editas CEO Katrine Bosley says that the firm's number one priority is showing actual results through its human studies, and that an IPO will follow naturally.