Horizon Discovery develops proprietary GENESIS™ rAAV gene‑editing technology and a bank of over 500 X‑MAN™ genetically defined human cell lines used for drug discovery, diagnostics and biopharmaceutical process optimization. The company sells cell‑line production and discovery research services, reporter‑gene assay kits, molecular diagnostic reagents, and engineering services to optimize ethical biopharmaceutical production. Horizon says its platforms enable modeling of patient mutations to predict drug response and design more focused clinical trials. Planned use of the new funding targets five areas: cell‑line production and discovery services, commercialization of the X‑MAN™ cell bank and assay kits, expansion of molecular diagnostics product development and channels, biopharma engineering services and delivery of established discovery programs. Financially, Horizon reports rapid historical growth — a five‑year CAGR in excess of 100% for 2007–2011, export growth of 364% in 2008–2011, and projects 2013 growth exceeding 70% — and has more than £100M in pre‑clinical and clinical milestone payments to be harvested. The company employs about 80 full‑time staff and occupies a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. Horizon Discovery provides customers with biological tools and services aimed at accelerating the development of stratified or personalized medicines. Its core technology platforms are GENESIS™ and X-MAN™, which the company intends to further improve using the new financing. Historically focused on cancer, Horizon plans to begin targeting therapeutics markets outside of that area and to address new markets more broadly. The company closed a £6.25m Series C financing to support those efforts. Following the round, Dr Nigel Pitchford of DFJ Esprit will join the board as an Investor Director and David Evans will join as a Non-Executive Director. The announcement was reported by FinSMEs on 01/10/2010.

Total raised

$10M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Oct 2010