Iceland’s genetic homogeneity has given scientists a wealth of information about human DNA as it is passed down through generations. Then there’s India, which “is like a thousand Icelands,” says Dmitri Mehlhorn, an investor in Bangalore-based Medgenome Labs. Medgenome has just raised $4 million to bring DNA sequencing and big-data analysis to India, Tim Hay reports for VentureWire. The deal follows other recent investments involving startups that collect, analyze or present genetic information about disease. Two weeks ago, Andreessen Horowitz and SV Angel joined other investors to provide a $2 million funding round to SolveBio, which is attempting to build a vast database of DNA variants that researchers can use as a tool in diagnosing and treating disease. About three weeks ago, Google Ventures provided the bulk of a $130 million funding round for Flatiron Health, which is building a DNA database and outfitting it to work with electronic medical records.
