Company to expand multi-ancestry biobank to support equitable precision medicine through global genomic data integration.
Galatea Bio, a biotech specializing in genomics and precision health, has secured $25 million in Series A financing to advance the development of a global, multi-ancestry biobank. The funding round, led by F-Prime Capital with participation from Helios Digital Ventures and other institutional investors, will support the company’s efforts to address disparities in biomedical research by incorporating underrepresented populations into the genomic data landscape.
Despite a growing emphasis on precision medicine, the vast majority of genetic research to date has relied on data from individuals of European descent – an imbalance that Galatea Bio seeks to correct. The company is constructing a large-scale biobank that integrates genomic, longitudinal clinical and real-world health data, with a particular focus on populations of African, Hispanic/Latino and other diverse ancestries.
Longevity.Technology: Galatea Bio’s latest funding round marks a significant step toward more equitable precision medicine; by building an ancestry-aware global biobank, the company is addressing a critical limitation in genomic research – the historical overrepresentation of European populations. This bias has limited the accuracy and applicability of genetic insights for diverse groups, particularly in age-related diseases like cardiovascular conditions, neurodegeneration and cancer.
The Miami-based biotech integrates genomic data with real-world evidence and longitudinal health records, using AI to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets that support earlier, more personalized interventions. A key innovation is its development of ancestry-aware polygenic risk scores, which aim to improve disease risk prediction across varied genetic backgrounds, and the platform also offers potential to streamline clinical trials by supporting the recruitment of genetically relevant, diverse cohorts, while its strategic collaborations with institutions like Stanford University and the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative will further strengthen its access to cutting-edge technologies and datasets.
“Galatea Bio envisions a future where healthcare is accessible to all and tailored to each individual’s genetic makeup and predicted future disease trajectory,” said Carlos Bustamante, the company’s CEO and President. A geneticist and biomedical data scientist by training, Bustamante has previously held academic positions at Stanford University and played a prominent role in the development of large-scale genomic initiatives.
Carlos Bustamante, Galatea Bio’s CEO and President
Multi-omics and AI at the core of Galatea’s platform
Galatea Bio’s approach leverages multi-omics integration – including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics – combined with AI-driven analytics to uncover patterns in health and disease that remain poorly understood. By embedding these tools into a population-scale infrastructure, the company aims to improve both diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies, particularly for conditions that disproportionately affect underserved communities.
The inclusion of African genomic data is a central feature of the platform. “Africa holds the richest tapestry of human genetic variation on Earth yet remains mostly absent in global genomics research,” said Wale Ayeni, Managing Partner at Helios Digital Ventures. “This gap not only limits our understanding of human biology but obscures pathways to medical breakthroughs that could benefit humanity globally.”
Galatea’s initiative is intended to support the identification of novel drug targets, as well as enhance risk stratification models used in clinical settings. The integration of environmental and socioeconomic data further broadens the scope of analysis, allowing for more nuanced models of disease progression across populations and geographies.
Investors back data-driven, equity-focused genomics
For investors, Galatea Bio represents a platform capable of translating large-scale data into actionable insights for both research and clinical care. “Galatea Bio is already a well-established leader in genomics, with a strong foundation of collaborations driving innovation in research and personalized medicine,” said Muzammil Mansuri, Venture Partner at F-Prime Capital. “Their approach unlocks the full potential of genetic data at scale, transforming how we understand and apply genomics to human health. We’re excited to support their journey as they continue to expand their impact and shape the future of genomic innovation.”
The investment will also be used to expand the company’s engineering and data science teams, develop secure infrastructure for data stewardship and strengthen partnerships with research institutions and healthcare systems. Regulatory compliance and ethical engagement remain priorities, particularly with respect to participant consent, data privacy and the responsible use of AI in healthcare.
Pathway to a more representative model of precision medicine
Galatea Bio’s ambitions reflect a broader shift in genomics toward a more representative and inclusive research paradigm. The company’s model is designed not simply to broaden the data pool, but to support a more equitable distribution of the benefits of biomedical innovation – ranging from improved clinical guidelines to new therapies informed by diverse biological insights.
As Bustamante notes: “By analyzing a broad spectrum of genetic, longitudinal health records, and real-world evidence data from multi-ancestry populations, Galatea is generating new insights into the biological processes that underlie health and disease – a process we are committed to accelerating.”
The success of this model will depend not only on technological execution but also on sustained engagement with communities and institutions across regions traditionally excluded from genomic research. In that sense, Galatea Bio’s work aligns with a growing recognition that the next phase of precision health must be both scientifically rigorous and socially inclusive.
As global health systems continue to adopt data-driven approaches, Galatea’s biobank initiative may serve as a foundation for a more equitable, evidence-based future – where the promise of precision medicine can be realized across populations, rather than concentrated in a few.
Images courtesy of Galatea Bio