ScopeSys Raises $1.1M Seed for Single-Molecule Drug Tools

Vancouver startup ScopeSys closed a $1.1 million seed round to commercialize instruments that give drugmakers a particle-by-particle view of RNA and DNA molecules, a technique the company says could speed formulation and manufacturing of genomic medicines.

The 7-person company traces its technology to research from University of British Columbia biophysicist Sabrina Leslie. Its core method, Convex Lens-induced Confinement (CLiC), traps single molecules in a fluid chamber and images them in real time. That yields data on size, payload, structure, and dynamic behavior – detail most existing tools cannot resolve, CEO Padma Kodukula said.

Existing analytical methods report only population averages, Kodukula said. Genomic medicines are heterogeneous by design, so that average masks critical variation. “We want to give scientists particle-by-particle and molecule-by-molecule insight so they can better understand what they are making, why it works, and how to manufacture it consistently,” she said.

The company is already generating revenue from pharmaceutical and biotech customers, Kodukula said, pushing back against the assumption that ScopeSys remains an academic project. “In reality, ScopeSys is a commercial, revenue-generating company. We are translating years of scientific innovation into robust instruments, consumables, AI datasets, and analytical services designed for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and research laboratories.”