Complete Genomics Adds $39M

Complete Genomics, the Mountain View, CA-based provider of low-cost gene sequencing, said today it has raised $39 million in a Series E round of venture financing. A new investor, Sands Capital, led the round, which included existing investors Essex Woodlands, Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners, Prospect Venture Partners, OrbiMed Advisors, Highland Capital Management, and San Diego-based Enterprise Partners. The company also said it plans to “vigorously defend” itself in a patent lawsuit brought against it by the market leader in gene sequencing, San Diego-based Illumina (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ILMN]]). Complete Genomics made the announcement of the financing, and the legal defense plan, while it is preparing to go public.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.