MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) – The biotechnology startup Juno Therapeutics claims it has raised $300 million in less than a year, Forbes reported Tuesday.
The Seattle-based company that launched in December 2013 aims to transform cancer research by creating new technologies through genetic engineering to battle the disease.
Before April, the company had already raised $134 million.
What accounts for Juno Therapeutics’ success in raising big sums, Forbes said in the article, is its ability to appeal to investors who are not indifferent to the cause.
“While we’re truly flattered by the interest that comes with [this financing], what’s truly flattering is it’s about the execution of our strategy,” Juno chief executive Hans Bishop was quoted by Forbes as saying. “We believe the winner in this space is going to be about doing great science and to do that you have to be well-resourced.”
Seattle’s Geekwire points out that funding for Juno’s research comes from major investors, including ARCH Venture Partners, the Alaska Permanent Fund, Bezos Expeditions, the personal investment company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Venrock.
Juno is a joint venture among Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
