Karius, a leader in genomic diagnostics for infectious disease, announced it has secured $100 million in Series C funding. The funding round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and new investors 5AM Ventures and Gilde Healthcare. Also joining this round were new investor Seventure Partners and existing investors Softbank Vision Fund 2, General Catalyst, HBM Healthcare Investments, Blue Water Life Sciences, Innovation Endeavors, Waycross Ventures, and others.
This funding round will enable Karius to extend its reach beyond the 400 U.S. hospitals currently using the Karius Test, which is an infectious disease diagnostic test that utilizes genomic analysis and artificial intelligence to detect over 1,000 pathogens from a single blood sample. And the funding round enables Karius to address increasing demand from healthcare providers to expand access to the Karius Test beyond the hospital setting. Plus, it will support research into the broader health implications of Karius’ microbial cell-free DNA technology beyond infectious diseases.
Karius also announced the appointment of three new board members joining recent additions, Dr. Norman Sharpless M.D., former National Cancer Institute Head, and Elizabeth O’Farrell, former Eli Lilly executive: Alex Morgan, M.D., Ph.D., Partner at Khosla Ventures; Joep Muijrers, Ph.D., General Partner at Gilde Healthcare; Andrew Booth, Venture Advisor to 5AM Ventures, and CFO of AbCellera Biologics
Karius’ Series C funding round coincides with the positive results from the PICKUP1 trial, a landmark multi-center study enrolling 257 hospitalized adults with pneumonia and active hematologic malignancies across 10 leading medical centers, including Duke University Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. And when added to the standard of care workup, the Karius Test detected 40% (21/52) more infections with a potential to change medical management for 81% (17/21) of these cases, showcasing a significant additive diagnostic value in patients with blood cancers or bone marrow transplants.
KEY QUOTES:
“Every minute in the U.S., five cancer patients are admitted to the hospital due to infections—conditions that are often overshadowed by their primary diagnosis but are equally lethal, leading to nearly 1,000 deaths daily. This worrying reality emphasizes a critical and frequently overlooked gap in our healthcare system: the urgent need for faster diagnostic solutions. At Karius, we confront this challenge head-on. The Karius Test can reduce the time required to identify the cause of infections, as every minute counts for cancer patient survival. This additional $100 million will significantly enhance our capacity to deliver rapid diagnostic testing to more patients, where faster treatment saves more lives and significant healthcare resources.”
– Alec Ford, CEO of Karius
“Investing in Karius addresses critical gaps in healthcare diagnostics. Traditional methods can be slow and can contribute to overuse of antibiotics, particularly risky for immunocompromised patients and fueling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Precisely identifying pathogens allows for targeted treatment, minimizing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and reducing the risk of AMR proliferation. This investment aligns with our commitment to advancing technologies for better public health outcomes.”
– Alex Morgan, Partner at Khosla Ventures
“We are thrilled to partner with Karius and to support the company in its journey to help deliver better care at lower cost to some of the most vulnerable patients out there.”
– Joep Muijrers, General Partner at Gilde Healthcare
“Karius’ strong revenue and growth illustrates how impactful the Karius Test is to clinical care. We are proud to co-lead the company’s Series C as Karius expands into new markets and moves to profitability.”
– Andrew Booth, Venture Advisor, at 5AM Ventures
“Over the years, we’ve witnessed firsthand the repeat impact Karius has made on patient management across numerous clinical settings. Alongside our new as well as existing investors, we’re proud to extend our partnership with the Karius team as they continue to scale precision metagenomics for more rapid and definitive diagnostics that enable better patient outcomes.”
– Vali Barsan, M.D., Karius Board Member and investor for SoftBank Investment Advisers
“We’ve done extensive due diligence, and the value that Karius brings to patients and the healthcare system at large is abundantly clear. The clinical evidence clearly shows its potential to help more patients. We’re excited to join Karius at such a key strategic time for the company as they grow to support the wider commercialization of the Karius Test.”
– Isabelle De Cremoux, CEO and Managing Partner of Seventure Partners
