Illumina expands Genomics Accelerator to Cambridge, UK

Illumina has announced the global expansion of Illumina Accelerator to Cambridge, United Kingdom. Founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2014, Illumina Accelerator is a company creation engine focused on partnering with entrepreneurs to build breakthrough genomics startups. Illumina Accelerator is proud to open its first international location at Illumina’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Cambridge, UK. The inaugural funding cycle of Illumina Accelerator Cambridge will begin in Spring 2020.

"With 21 years of experience advancing the field of genomics, Illumina is delighted to foster the next generation of global genomics innovators," said Paula Dowdy, Illumina’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Operations, EMEA. "With the launch of Illumina Accelerator Cambridge, we are expertly positioned to further catalyze the rapidly expanding genomics ecosystem across EMEA."

During two, six-month funding cycles per year, Illumina Accelerator provides selected startups with access to seed investment, access to Illumina sequencing systems and reagents, as well as business guidance, genomics expertise, and fully operational lab space adjacent to Illumina’s campuses in Cambridge, UK or the San Francisco Bay Area.

Illumina Accelerator Cambridge is partnering with several leading venture capital firms across Europe, including SV Health Investors, Sofinnova Partners, Seventure Partners, F-Prime Capital, and Illumina Ventures, to provide selected startups with hands-on company-building expertise and coaching during the six-month funding cycle in Cambridge.

Professor Sir John Bell FRS, Lead for the UK Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, Board Member of Genomics England, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, said: "I am delighted that Illumina has chosen Cambridge as the first location to expand its Accelerator. Illumina Accelerator Cambridge will undoubtedly contribute to the UK’s life sciences effort by galvanizing genomics startups to harness the rapid and affordable next-generation sequencing technology pioneered by Illumina and develop applications that will benefit human health the world over."

"In launching Illumina Accelerator Cambridge, we look forward to partnering with leading entrepreneurs and venture investors to harness the unique strengths and genomics expertise in the UK and beyond," said Mostafa Ronaghi, Ph.D., Illumina’s Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Illumina Accelerator. "As one of the most successful biotech accelerators, Illumina Accelerator has made 33 investments since its inception with an unparalleled track record in building venture backable startups, including novel applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, software, and consumer genomics."

Applications for the inaugural funding cycle in Cambridge, UK and for the eleventh funding cycle in the San Francisco Bay Area are due by November 1, 2019. Through a single, global application process, Illumina Accelerator will select up to five companies in each location to participate in two, six-month cycles per year.

llumina Accelerator is the world’s first business accelerator focused solely on creating an innovation ecosystem for the genomics industry. It provides select startups with access to seed investment, business guidance, Illumina’s sequencing systems and reagents, and fully operational lab space in the San Francisco Bay Area or Cambridge, the UK during each six-month funding cycle. Since launching in 2014, Illumina Accelerator has invested in 33 genomics startups from across the globe, which has collectively raised over $300 million in venture capital funding.