Deal focus: MedGenome aims to fill the sequencing gap

"You have these distinct population groups that have evolved for 30-100 generations in a fairly homogeneous setting, which makes it the ideal playground to do genetics research," says Dr. Kartik Kumaramangalam, chief of global products and services at MedGenome.

Sequoia Capital sees the potential in India's ethnic bonanza as well. The GP recently committed $20 million as the sole sponsor of MedGenome's Series B round. The company plans to use that funding to build on its strong starting position as the leading provider of next-generation sequencing (NGS) services in India.

MedGenome entered the market at an opportune time. A report issued by KuicK Research in 2012, a year after the company's founding, warned that congenital malformations and genetic disorders were the third most common cause of infant mortality in India's major cities. It called for the expansion of genetic testing, along with research into genome sequencing to identify the roots of prominent disorders.

MedGenome has since partnered with over 100 hospitals to provide testing material to understand how the genetics of India's various ethnicities contribute to their health. "We're beginning to understand disease," says Kumaramangalam. "We have access to patients and populations, and we can enable pharma and biotech companies in other parts of the world to develop better drugs and better insights into disease."

Beyond scientific research, MedGenome emphasizes the practical side of its testing. To combat the problem of infant mortality, the company has recently introduced the Panorama Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for expecting mothers, which was developed by US-based Natera. MedGenome is the only provider in India.

While MedGenome's US connections are one of its chief strengths, the firm remains focused on extending its reach and knowledge in Asia. "We're getting samples not just from India now," says Kumaramangalam. "We're getting samples from other parts of Asia, and even as far afield as Russia." The more samples it collects, the better the picture the company can build of the populations in the region.

Unlike in China, where BGI has become a leader in genome sequencing, India has no world-class homegrown genetic research enterprise. MedGenome intends to overturn this state of affairs, and give the country the scientific institutions that nearly a quarter of the world's population deserves.

"When you think of genomics in India, there's no natural answer that comes to mind," says Kumaramangalam. The goal of MedGenome is to become that answer. "To fill in the blanks, and say India plus genomics is MedGenome. I think that's the mission."

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• Topics
• Venture
• Healthcare
• South Asia
• Early-stage
• Venture
• healthcare
• India
• Sequoia Capital