Concinnity Genetics, an Edinburgh-based company specializing in gene control, has successfully completed an oversubscribed £3 million seed funding round. The funding was spearheaded by Eos Advisory, with contributions from Scottish Enterprise, Old College Capital (OCC)—the University of Edinburgh’s venture investment fund—and Maven Capital Partners.

Co-founded by Jessica Birt and Dr. Matthew Dale, Concinnity aims to enhance the safety of gene therapies through innovative RNA-based control systems. Using a proprietary AI platform combined with synthetic biology expertise, these systems allow precise regulation of gene therapies post-administration, offering the ability to mitigate side effects dynamically.

The funding will enable Concinnity to transition from the lab of Professor Susan Rosser at the UKRI UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology, University of Edinburgh, into Scotland’s burgeoning life sciences sector. The capital will support the launch of three new programs focusing on key cell and gene therapy applications, alongside advancing existing control systems to secure essential data for prospective partnerships.

Jessica Birt expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “We are so excited to be taking the next step in our spin-out journey and want to sincerely thank all the investors and supporters who have helped us make it happen. Our ambition is to be the go-to partner for gene control to make gene and cell therapies as safe as possible. This commitment from our investors, building on the ongoing support from Scottish Enterprise, speaks to the potential they see in our work, and we look forward to using the funding to further develop our technology.”

Andrew McNeill, Managing Partner at Eos Advisory, emphasized the groundbreaking potential of Concinnity’s work: “Concinnity is a perfect fit for Eos’s focus on backing pioneering Scottish science, addressing a significant unmet need in gene therapy. By combining synthetic biology and AI-machine learning, the Concinnity technology has been described as the ‘holy grail for emerging gene therapies,’ making such treatments both more effective and safer.”

Dr. Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, highlighted the company’s roots in the University of Edinburgh’s expertise in engineering biology. “Sophisticated gene control systems have the potential to revolutionise advanced therapeutics, enabling new kinds of treatments that will impact future health. We are proud to continue to support Concinnity Genetics on their translational journey from lab to clinic.”

Concinnity has received ongoing support from Scottish Enterprise as part of its High Growth Spinout Programme over the past two years. This backing facilitated the development of its technology and the generation of data crucial to securing the seed funding.

Kerry Sharp, Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, remarked: “This investment round clearly demonstrates the huge potential of Concinnity’s technology, which has been recognised by investors. Scottish Enterprise has supported the team since its beginnings within the University of Edinburgh, so it’s fantastic to now be investing in it as it prepares to spin out. Life sciences is one of Scotland’s key growth industries and our investment and ongoing business support will help Concinnity convert and scale its innovation into international growth, delivering maximum benefits for Scotland’s economy.”