In what industry analysts are calling a significant vote of confidence for New Mexico’s burgeoning biotech sector, Albuquerque-based startup Daisy Genomics has secured $2.5 million in Series A funding to advance its pioneering precision medicine technology. The funding round, led by Flywheel Ventures with participation from the New Mexico State Investment Council and several angel investors, positions the company to accelerate development of its proprietary genomic sequencing platform.
The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the five-year-old company, which has been quietly developing technology that promises to dramatically reduce the cost and time required for comprehensive genomic analysis. According to CEO Maria Sanchez, the funding will primarily support clinical validation studies and regulatory submissions planned for later this year.
“This capital infusion enables us to move from promising research to clinical implementation,” Sanchez told me during an interview at the company’s facilities in the Sandia Science & Technology Park. “We’ve demonstrated proof-of-concept in our laboratory studies. Now we can validate our platform in real-world clinical settings.”
Daisy Genomics’ technology addresses what healthcare economists have long identified as a critical bottleneck in precision medicine: the cost and complexity of comprehensive genomic analysis. While the price of sequencing a human genome has fallen dramatically over the past decade—from billions to roughly a thousand dollars—interpreting that data remains labor-intensive and expensive.
The company’s innovation lies in what they call “distributed intelligence genomics,” an approach that combines advanced machine learning algorithms with a novel biochemical process to identify clinically relevant genetic markers more efficiently than conventional methods. Early validation studies suggest their platform can reduce analysis time by 60% while maintaining diagnostic accuracy comparable to gold-standard methods.
“What makes Daisy’s approach unique is how they’ve reimagined the entire workflow,” explained Dr. Robert Chen, a molecular diagnostics expert at the University of New Mexico who is not affiliated with the company. “Rather than just incrementally improving existing techniques, they’re fundamentally changing how we extract actionable insights from genetic data.”
The funding announcement reflects growing investor confidence in the commercial potential of precision medicine technologies. According to data from PitchBook, venture capital investment in genomics and precision medicine startups reached $4.8 billion in 2024, representing a 15% increase from the previous year despite broader contractions in biotech funding.
For New Mexico’s economic development officials, Daisy Genomics exemplifies the type of high-growth, knowledge-economy venture they hope will diversify the state’s economy beyond its traditional reliance on energy and government spending. The company currently employs 18 people—predominantly bioengineers and data scientists—and plans to double its workforce over the next 18 months.
“We’re seeing a critical mass forming in New Mexico’s life sciences sector,” noted Thomas Rivera, managing partner at Flywheel Ventures. “Between the national laboratories, the university system, and an increasingly entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem, companies like Daisy can access world-class technical talent without the overhead costs of Boston or San Francisco.”
The company’s technology has particularly promising applications in oncology, where genetic profiling increasingly guides treatment decisions. Current approaches typically analyze tumor samples for a predetermined panel of genetic markers, potentially missing rare but clinically significant mutations. Daisy’s platform enables more comprehensive analysis at comparable cost, potentially expanding access to precision oncology beyond academic medical centers to community hospitals.
“Democratizing access to precision medicine isn’t just a business opportunity—it’s an ethical imperative,” Sanchez emphasized. “Geographic location shouldn’t determine whether a cancer patient receives genetically informed treatment.”
The funding will also support Daisy’s ongoing collaboration with Presbyterian Healthcare Services, New Mexico’s largest healthcare system. The partnership, initiated last year, aims to implement the company’s technology in clinical settings and generate real-world evidence of its impact on patient outcomes and healthcare economics.
Industry observers note that Daisy faces significant challenges despite the promising technology. The precision medicine landscape is increasingly crowded, with well-funded competitors like Tempus, Foundation Medicine, and Guardant Health dominating the market. Regulatory hurdles remain substantial, and healthcare systems often adopt new technologies slowly, particularly when they require changes to established clinical workflows.
“The technical innovation is impressive, but commercial success will depend on their ability to navigate complex healthcare delivery systems and reimbursement structures,” cautioned Jennifer Malin, healthcare analyst at Morgan Stanley, in a recent report on the precision medicine market.
For now, Sanchez and her team remain focused on demonstrating clinical utility and building evidence to support eventual FDA submission. The company expects to complete its pivotal validation study by Q4 2025, potentially setting the stage for commercial launch in early 2026.
The Daisy Genomics funding represents one of the largest biotech investments in New Mexico since 2018, when Albuquerque-based Indica Labs raised $3.5 million to expand its digital pathology platform. State economic development officials hope this signals renewed investor interest in the region’s life sciences sector.
As precision medicine continues its evolution from scientific promise to clinical reality, Daisy Genomics exemplifies the entrepreneurial innovation emerging from unexpected places. Whether this Albuquerque startup can challenge established industry players remains to be seen, but their journey reflects the democratization of both biotechnology development and healthcare delivery—twin revolutions reshaping modern medicine.
