<article><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p>San Francisco and Asia-based biotechnology company <a href="http://www.enginebio.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Engine Biosciences</strong></span></a> has closed a $10-million seed financing round backed by funds affiliated with the Singapore government, according to a corporate press release.</p>
<div class="page" title="Page 3">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p>Engine Biosciences uses wet lab experimentation and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for drug discovery and cellular reprogramming.</p></article>

<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p>San Francisco and Asia-based biotechnology company <a href="http://www.enginebio.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Engine Biosciences</strong></span></a> has closed a $10-million seed financing round backed by funds affiliated with the Singapore government, according to a corporate press release.</p>
<div class="page" title="Page 3">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p>Engine Biosciences uses wet lab experimentation and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for drug discovery and cellular reprogramming.</p>
<p>The oversubscribed round &#8211; described as the largest in Southeast Asia and among the largest early-stage biotechnology rounds in Asia &#8211; was led by Silicon Valley-based <a href="http://danhuacap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>DHVC (Danhua Capital)</strong></span></a> and <a href="http://www.6dimensionscapital.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>6 Dimensions Capital</strong></span></a>, which was formed through the merger of Frontline Bioventures and WuXi Healthcare Ventures in May 2017.</p>
<p>In a statement, Dr Leon Chen, Founding CEO of 6 Dimensions Capital and member of Engine’s Board of Directors, said, “The lack of insight into complex and multi-factorial biological processes within cells contributes to the high failure rate across the drug development cycle. Engine Biosciences has pioneered a new approach to address this by generating novel data and insights that are highly relevant to the biological process.&#8221;</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Other participating investors include global biopharmaceutical major <span style="color: #000080;"><a style="color: #000080;" href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/tag/WuXi-AppTec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>WuXi AppTec</strong></a></span>; <a href="http://dealstreetasia.com/tag/edbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>EDBI</strong></span></a>, the investment arm of Singapore&#8217;s <a href="http://dealstreetasia.com/tag/edb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Economic Development Board (EDB)</strong></span></a>; <a href="http://dealstreetasia.com/tag/Pavilion-Capital" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Pavilion Capital</strong></span></a>, a unit of Temasek Holdings; <a href="http://dealstreetasia.com/tag/Baidu-Ventures" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Baidu Ventures</strong></span></a>, WI Harper, and Nest.Bio Ventures.</p>
<p>Engine Biosciences will use the proceeds to build its drug discovery platform, expand its scientific and executive team in both Singapore and San Francisco, and pursue preclinical studies internally and with partners that include major research institutions and a US Fortune 500 company.</p>
<p>The firm was founded in 2015 by Jeffrey Lu and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tenured Associate Professor Timothy Lu, Singaporean investor Daphne Teo, Mayo Clinic Assistant Professor Hu Li and University of California San Diego (UCSD) Assistant Professor Prashant Mali, with the help of MIT Professor Jim Collins.</p>
<p>The company says it tests genetic interactions in parallel using machine learning and deep learning algorithms to analyse data, permitting it to decipher biological networks and enable more rational drug discovery for both single and combination therapies.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p>“The biopharmaceutical industry needs better approaches for R&amp;D to deliver therapies to patients in need faster. Legacy approaches mean that in many cases, we still have a weak understanding of what drives disease and correspondingly, how to treat or prevent it,” said Engine Biosciences CEO Jeffrey Lu.</p>
<p>Engine’s technology is deployed in four key areas. These are drug repositioning, which applies known drugs to novel indications, including both single and combination therapies; new target discovery, which identifies biological factors that underlie disease; precision medicine enablement to support unique treatments based on a patient’s particular genetic makeup; and pathway analysis.</p>
<p>Currently, the firm is at the proof-of-concept stage and has active programmes across various disease indications, including in cancer, neurodegeneration, autoimmune, and skin.</p>
<p><strong>Also Read:</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/temasek-leads-50m-series-b-us-digital-health-firm-pear-therapeutics-89494/"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Temasek leads $50m Series B in digital health firm PEAR Therapeutics, EDBI joins round</span></a></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/singapore-edbi-backs-65m-clearlake-led-investment-in-metricstream-85896/">Singapore’s EDBI joins $65m Clearlake Capital-led investment in MetricStream</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/singaporepavilion-makes-5-7m-venture-investment-in-soracom-44572/">Singapore: Temasek unit Pavilion Capital invests $5.7m in Japan’s Soracom</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/temaseks-pavilion-capital-joins-kkr-led-consortium-to-buy-controlling-stake-in-ticket-monster-5378/">Temasek’s Pavilion Capital joins KKR-led consortium to buy controlling stake in Ticket Monster</a></strong></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>


Singapore's EDBI, Pavilion Capital back $10m seed round in Engine Biosciences

Bring stories like this into your inbox every day.

Sign up for our newsletter - The Daily Brief

Singapore's EDBI, Pavilion Capital back $10m seed round in Engine Biosciences

Create an account to continue reading this premium story for free

Bring stories like this into your inbox every day.

Sign up for our newsletter - The Daily Brief