VCU-born startup Evizia lands $2.2M NIH grant for commercialization of advanced DNA sequencing microscope

As DNA research enters a critical stage in next-generation sequencing, better methods are needed to visualize and study molecules.

Evizia, a company founded and based on technology developed by Jason Reed, Ph.D., a physics professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences, has landed a $2.2 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

The “Direct to Phase II” Small Business Innovation Research grant will help Evizia optimize the manufacturing of its advanced microscope system that can benefit researchers with its novel method to visualize and study DNA molecules. Reed says the platform increases the quality of next-generation DNA sequencing and will support the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.

DNA sequencing determines the order of the chemical building blocks that comprise a DNA strand, and is key to understanding the instructions of how organisms develop, function and reproduce — like following the words in a book to understand the story.

Traditional molecular sizing techniques, such as electrophoresis and dye-based fluorescence, rely upon indirect imaging. Such methods can miss critical data and lead to quality control issues.

“The current techniques really don’t work at all with molecules beyond a certain size,” Reed said. “Our technology provides direct, high-resolution feedback on sample quality before sequencing ever begins, which can offer better data, less waste and fewer expensive mistakes. Our device is built to address that shortfall.”

 

Read full article here — VCU New, published June 17, 2025

Two VCU researchers named National Academy of Inventors senior members

Youngman Oh and Jason Reed are honored for their innovative work in cancer therapy and DNA technology.

 

Two Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have been named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors for their work advancing the fields of cancer pathology and DNA analysis. Youngman Oh, Ph.D., and Jason Reed, Ph.D., are part of a class of 162 academic inventors honored across 64 member institutions, including universities, government agencies and nonprofits.

The senior member class was announced Feb. 20 by the National Academy of Inventors, which has over 4,600 members and is affiliated with more than 260 institutions worldwide. Senior members are selected by the academy for their success licensing, patenting and commercializing new inventions that benefit society, as well as their commitment to mentoring the world’s next generation of inventors.

 

Read full article here — VCU New, published February 24, 2025

Evizia, Inc. awarded one of sixteen grants awarded by Virginia Catalyst

The Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), announced that it has awarded $3.18 million in grants to four life and bioscience projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia. These grants, which will be met with significant matching funds from partner companies, were awarded through Grant Round 16.

Project:  Optimization and Commercialization of PRECYSE as a Novel Quality Control Solution for Next Generation Sequencing

  • Company: Evizia, Inc. (Charlottesville, VA)
  • Funding amount: $800,000
  • University collaborators: Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Virginia

Read full post on all grants awarded here.

VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners invests in Evizia to provide tools that identify genomic variations

Company’s tool supports clinicians and researchers working to visualize, analyze and understand the genome in a low-cost, high throughput platform

 

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Virginia Venture Partners, the equity investment program of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), today announced an investment in Richmond, Va.-based Evizia. Evizia is building and deploying a breakthrough life science tool which enables high resolution visualization of the genome, assisting researchers working to understand and develop treatments for complex genetic disorders. This investment supports the design and manufacturing of the platform’s new generation and placement with research partners.

Evizia’s tool, PRECYSE, combines nanoimaging, nanoparticle chemistry and proprietary analytics to render quick, automated and accurate data. Its ability to flexibly measure specified regions quickly, accurately, and inexpensively unlocks assessments of sample quality as well identification of genomic variations that underly certain inherited diseases and cancers.

At Evizia, we are committed to developing elegant, inexpensive, and effective tools enabling research scientists by resolving genomic complexity.”

— Sheila Corcoran, evizia, Chief Operating Officer

“At Evizia, we are committed to developing elegant, inexpensive, and effective tools enabling research scientists by resolving genomic complexity. Our team has a deep understanding of the industry, and we are on a mission to provide novel tools for cutting-edge researchers by addressing a significant pain point,” says Sheila Corcoran, Evizia COO and Co-Founder. “We are thrilled to be working alongside scientists and clinicians, developing applications for them. This investment by VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners supports our growth and we are grateful for the investment.”

PRECYSE flexibly scans and measures DNA, meeting the needs of those who require fast and accurate characterization of genomic structures. The full product platform includes a desktop scanner, reagents and software applications thus automating analysis and delivering output in an easy-to-read format.

“The elucidation of certain structural variants can be a daunting task for genomics researchers,” said Alex Euler, Senior Investment Director, VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners. “Evizia’s PRECYSE technology provides these researchers with a novel suite of tools that has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the role that these structural variations play in certain cancers and rare diseases.”

 

About Evizia

Evizia is a start-up life science tools company providing clinicians and researchers with high resolution, automated genomic visualization and measurement. The platform was developed with wide-scale application and adoption in mind, embodied in a desktop scanner as well as companion reagents and software applications. To learn more about Evizia, visit https://eviziadx.com/.

 

About Virginia Venture Partners

Virginia Venture Partners, formerly CIT GAP Funds, is the equity investment program of VIPC that makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean energy, and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2005, Virginia Venture Partners has deployed $32.4 million in capital across more than 250 portfolio companies, including 17 companies in designated Opportunity Zones. Virginia Venture Partners’ investment decisions are guided by the Virginia Venture Partners Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has drawn from the expertise of leading regional entrepreneurs, angel, and strategic investors, and venture capital firms such as New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit www.virginiaipc.org/vvp.

 

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)

Connecting innovators with opportunities. The nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia’s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy.