Albuquerque startup Daisy Genomics raises $2.5 million to boost precision medicine technology

An Albuquerque-based startup that recently secured $2.5 million in seed funding says it will use the money to continue its development of DNA and RNA sequencing technology used in precision medicine.

Daisy Genomics Inc. CEO Emily Milsovic said these sequences are used in almost every aspect of health care, from targeted cancer treatments to determining which diseases a person is predisposed to. 

“Genomic data is really important, and the way it’s generated today is suboptimal. It requires up-front chemistry, days of preparation, and you still don’t get all the data you need,” Milsovic said. “Our technique uses proprietary spectroscopy and chips to actually read DNA in a completely new and different way that happens to be easier and provide even more data.”

Daisy Genomics, founded in 2015, formerly went by the name Armonica Technologies. The more than $2 million round was led by Cottonwood Technology Fund and Tramway Venture Partners, firms with a New Mexico presence.

The funding will allow Daisy Genomics to take prototypes to the next phase of commercialization by enhancing the chips used in its technology, Milsovic said. The startup said it will also expand partnerships with “leading universities and diagnostics companies.”

The biosciences are one of New Mexico’s nine industries targeted for growth by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration. A 2024 report from Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance found that the industry, anchored by the state’s research universities and national labs, employed more than 35,000 workers across the Albuquerque metro area, Los Alamos, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Socorro in 2023. 

Daisy Genomics currently works out of the BioScience Center in Albuquerque. Milsovic said while many startups in New Mexico end up relocating out of state, the company plans to do the opposite. 

“We’re going to expand in Albuquerque because it’s really critical to us and our strategy. We really like the ecosystem of New Mexico,” Milsovic said. “This is the right thing to do. … I think New Mexico, and certainly Albuquerque, could become a biotech hub.”

Hannh García covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach her at hgarcia@abqjournal.com.