Syndex Bio raised $15.5 million in a seed round led by Arch Venture Partners to commercialize mcPCR, a technique the company says preserves DNA methylation during amplification. The Cambridge, UK‑based startup plans to use the funds to expand its platform, develop clinical workflows, and scale R&D aimed at epigenetic diagnostics, particularly cell‑free DNA liquid biopsies. CEO Geoff Smith described mcPCR as functioning like standard PCR but using engineered methyltransferases to copy 5‑methylcytosine onto complementary strands in a single tube, which Syndex argues will boost recovery of methylated molecules and improve sensitivity for methylation‑based cancer tests. Former Grail executive Gautam Kollu joined Syndex’s board and framed the technology as removing a key technical barrier for clinical epigenetics.