Biotechnology startup CrisprBits has raised $250,000 in a pre-seed round led by US-based VJ Group.
The proceeds will be deployed towards product development, team expansion and for research and development, CrisprBits said in a press release.
Founded in 2020 by Vijay Chandru, Sunil Arora, Dr. Rajeev Kohli, Bharat Jobanputra, and Aditya Sarda, CrisprBits develops high-quality healthcare solutions in diagnostics and gene editing that all Indians can afford. The company plans to extend its CRISPR-based diagnostics platform to point-of-care detection of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes associated with hospital-acquired infections. CRISPR is used by bacteria to protect themselves from invading viruses and in the past few years, scientists have harnessed the power of CRISPR to develop therapeutics as well as other biotechnological products in the domains of human, plant and microbial bio-engineering.
The Delhi and Bengaluru-based startup says it operates under three key principles: using deep science to deliver high quality products, adhering to the highest ethical standards, including in the choice of products they offer, and developing an organisation that draws exceptional individuals with diverse backgrounds and affinities. It also claims to have a laboratory in C-CAMP, a premier incubator for biotechnology innovation in Bengaluru.
According to CrisprBits, it has developed OmniCrisp, a CRISPR-based test to detect SARS-CoV2 and to determine whether it is an Omicron or non-omicron variant. It competes with the likes of Biocon, Sea6 Energy, MedGenome, Bharat Biotech, GANIT Labs, and Forus Health.
