Genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter launches Diploid Genomics, Inc. (DGI), ushering in a new era in human genomics

Healthier Capital, a leading health-tech venture capital firm, joins as a co-founder and sole external investor in seed round

LA JOLLA, Calif., Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Diploid Genomics, Inc. (DGI), an AI-driven advanced genomics analytics company, launches in partnership with Healthier Capital, a leading health-tech venture capital firm, under the leadership of genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter, Ph.D.

DGI is developing the next–generation discovery and diagnostics platform for complex and deadly diseases, making future health outcomes more predictable, measurable, and actionable. DGI plans to employ advanced AI models, along with the latest genomic sequencing technology combined with advanced imaging and health data, to deliver diagnostic insights with higher precision for life science companies, health systems, researchers, and patients.

"At Healthier Capital, we are inspired by the pioneering spirit of J. Craig Venter and the DGI leadership team and are enthusiastic to serve as co-founders in delivering transformative impacts to better preventing, diagnosing, treating and innovating care," said Healthier Capital partner, Aman Mahajan M.D., Ph.D.

"We believe that DGI's proprietary, AI-driven approach to combining genomics sequencing with advanced imaging and additional data sources, will transform the way treatments are developed, diseases are diagnosed, and therapies are delivered," said Healthier Capital founder and managing partner, Amir Dan Rubin.

DGI has been designed as a high-leverage platform from day one, powered by a high-performance partner ecosystem. Through access to the latest sequencing technology from PacBio and Oxford Nanopore, unique computing infrastructure, and proprietary genomics and imaging data from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI, a not-for-profit research institute), and select collaborators, DGI is launching with unusually deep data assets and immediate technical advantages. The company is exploring strategic partnerships across leading academic medical centers, AI organizations, and life sciences companies.

DGI is building its own sequencing center in a new San Diego waterfront location and will seek CLIA certification (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments—the certification needed for laboratories to provide clinical data to patients) to provide AI-enhanced, next generation clinical grade sequencing.  

DGI has been formed using know-how and expertise from JCVI, and is helmed by Dr. Venter, along with multimodal imaging expert Anders Dale, Ph.D., and computational sciences expert Gene Myers, Ph.D.

Dr. Venter is JCVI founder and founder of its precursor organization, The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) where he and his team decoded the genome of the first free-living organism and hundreds of other microbial genomes. He is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Celera Genomics, the company which raced to sequence the first human genome, a feat which was announced at the White House by President Bill Clinton. He also founded Synthetic Genomics, SGI-DNA, and Human Longevity, Inc.

Dr. Dale is JCVI's president and a professor. He is professor emeritus of neurosciences, radiology, and data science at University of California, San Diego, and founder of Cortechs Labs, Inc. Dr. Dale's research has been focused on the development and application of advanced techniques for acquisition and analysis of multimodal structural and functional imaging data, as well as the integration of quantitative imaging with genomic and health information for the prediction of health outcomes. He is also the founder of several AI-focused startups.

Eugene "Gene" Myers, Ph.D. previously served as vice president of informatics research at Celera Genomics, was founding director of a new systems biology center at the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), a group leader at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and computer science faculty at UC Berkeley. He is best known for the development of BLAST (one of the most widely used tools in bioinformatics) and for the paired-end whole genome shotgun sequencing protocol and the assembler he developed at Celera that delivered the fly, human, and mouse genomes in a three-year period.

Healthier Capital partnered with these genomics pioneers to serve as a DGI co-founder and sole external investor in DGI's series seed round that closed in January. Initial equity holders also include DGI's founders, and JCVI. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as counsel to DGI.

Dr. Venter noted, "We are excited to have Healthier Capital as a co-founder and lead investor in our funding round. Their deep experience in healthcare delivery, scientific and clinical enterprises, and their wide network across the health-tech ecosystem will be of great advantage to DGI and should position us well as we seek to finally realize the full potential of genomics to change healthcare."

About Diploid Genomics, Inc.

DGI, a spinoff of the J. Craig Venter Institute, is developing the next–generation discovery and diagnostics platform for complex and deadly diseases, designed to make future health outcomes more predictable, measurable, and actionable. DGI plans to use advanced AI models along with cutting–edge genomic sequencing, advanced imaging, and comprehensive health data to deliver more precise diagnostic insights for life science companies, health systems, researchers, and patients.

About Healthier Capital

Healthier Capital seeks to advance healthier outcomes for all, partnering with technology-powered healthcare innovators for transformative impact and significant value creation. For more information, visit www.healthiercapital.com.

SOURCE J. Craig Venter Institute