Samsung Biologics, Samsung C&T extends investment in US biotech firms

The Life Science Fund, jointly launched by Samsung Biologics and Samsung C&T Corp., announced Wednesday it invested $15 million in US biotech firm Senda Biosciences. 

Samsung C&T was founded as the Samsung Group’s parent company to engage in construction and overseas trading operations. 

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup raised $266 million to date, including the Series C round of funding that wrapped up on Tuesday. 

Senda Biosciences is a merger of four natural nanoparticle research and development companies invested by life sciences venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering.

Back in October 2020, Flagship Pioneering unveiled Senda, which provides insights into the molecular connections between humans and non-human species.

The Senda platform applies artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) technology to millions of nanoparticle big data found in plants and animals to create optimized drug carriers.

Senda is pioneering a new research discipline it dubs Intersystems Biology with a plan to create a new type of medicine with two programming components. The first directs the therapy to go to a particular destination in the body while the second tells the therapy what to do once it gets there. 

The Life Science Fund was created last July with Samsung C&T investing 99 billion won ($75.5 million) in the fund and Samsung Biologics putting in 49.5 billion won.

In late March, the fund selected Jaguar Gene Therapy, a US biotech company dedicated to gene therapy development, as the first recipient of their funding. 

Write to Jae-Young Han at jyhan@hankyung.com
Jee Abbey Lee edited this article.