Geneoscopy secures $105M to expand gastrointestinal health diagnostics
Geneoscopy, founded by Erica Barnell (PhD ’19, MD ’23) and Andrew Barnell, has won the Top Deals award at the 2025 Fire Awards presented by St. Louis Inno. The gastrointestinal health startup concluded a $105 million Series C funding round in January, and its RNA-based ColoSense® test was recently included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening as a first-line test for average-risk patients. The startup won a WashU Global Impact Award in 2017.
The feature below was written by Samir Knox and published in the St. Louis Business Journal on July 10, 2025.
Top Deals
Winner: Geneoscopy
Gastrointestinal health startup Geneoscopy wants more people to get screened for colorectal cancer. Since getting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past year, the firm has begun commercializing its test for the disease, called ColoSense.
First founded in 2015, it also concluded a $105 million Series C funding round in January, helping scale the launch of that product and also expanding into work with other disease diagnoses.
A company spokesperson said Geneoscopy has 63 employees, having added 13 since last April. It is also hiring for more roles in development and project management.
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When was your company founded, and how would you describe what it does? Geneoscopy was founded in February 2015. We are a life sciences company dedicated to transforming gastrointestinal health. We develop innovative diagnostic tests, notably our FDA-approved ColoSense® test for colorectal cancer screening. ColoSense leverages our proprietary platform to extract RNA biomarkers from stool samples to provide a noninvasive, highly accurate test. Beyond colorectal cancer, we are also expanding our diagnostic pipeline to address critical unmet needs in inflammatory bowel disease. Our mission is to empower patients and providers with clearer insights for earlier detection and more effective management of gastrointestinal disease.
What was your company’s biggest achievement this past year? Geneoscopy achieved several significant milestones between 2024 and mid-June 2025, reflecting substantial progress in product development and market positioning. Key accomplishments include:
- FDA Approval of ColoSense®: In May 2024, Geneoscopy received FDA approval for its non-invasive, multitarget stool RNA (mt-sRNA) test, ColoSense, for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk individuals aged 45 and older. This positioned it as the first RNA-based test in this category.
- Successful $105 Million Series C Funding Round: In January 2025, Geneoscopy closed a Series C financing, raising $105 million, to support the commercial launch of ColoSense and advance the company’s diagnostic pipeline for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Inclusion in NCCN Guidelines as a First-Line Test: In May 2025, ColoSense was added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 2025 Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines as a first-line test with a recommended three-year screening interval, validating its effectiveness and importance in the clinical pathway.
What is your company’s biggest goal next year? Geneoscopy’s primary objective for next year (2026) is to drive widespread commercial adoption and secure broad market access for ColoSense. Securing CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) coverage is our primary near-term goal and is the key to widespread adoption, unlocking access for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Some additional goals that tie to driving widespread adoption include the following:
- securing payer coverage;
- inclusion in additional guidelines beyond NCCN, such as the American Cancer Society Guidelines;
- scaling commercial operations;
- increasing screening rates;
- establishing ColoSense as a standard.
Are you currently hiring? If so, what roles? Specialty Development Executives (various territories like Atlantic, Mid-America, North Central, Northeast, Southeast), Clinical Data Manager, Clinical Project Manager, Salesforce Developer and Administrator.