Dive Brief:
- Kallyope on Wednesday announced a Series A financing of $44 million. The company will be headquartered in New York City.
- The biotech firm was founded by three respected researchers from Columbia University and will be led by Nancy Thornberry, a former Merck senior vice president.
- Research will be focused on communication between the gut and the brain, which could lead to important insights into health and nutrition.
Dive Insight:
Kallyope will be well-stocked with both human talent and high-tech capabilities, including single cell sequencing and optogenetics. The company will draw on these resources to analyze gut-brain biology, hoping to develop therapeutics and consumer products focused on health and nutrition.
Initial investments came from Lux Capital, Polaris Partners, and The Column Group, with further funds raised by Illumina and Alexandria Venture Investments. The company will be located at the Alexandria Center for Life Science in NYC.