SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verge Genomics, a drug discovery company utilizing machine learning to develop new therapeutics, announced today that it has raised $32 million in Series A financing led by DFJ. New biotech investors WuXi AppTec's Corporate Venture Fund, ALS Investment Fund, Agent Capital, and OS Fund also participated in the round. The oversubscribed round brings Verge's total funding raised to-date to more than $36 million. With this round, Emily Melton of DFJ will join Verge Genomics' Board of Directors. Founded in 2015, Verge intersects machine learning, neuroscience, and experimental biology to accelerate drug discovery.

While Alice Zhang was pursuing her PhD and MD at UCLA, she was shocked to learn a truth about drug research - 90% of medicines that start human trials fail. "It's still largely a guessing game," she says. Her startup, Verge Genomics, is working to use machine learning and genomic data to tackle neurological disorders. The 7-person company has raised $4 million so far and is working on development with several pharmaceutical companies. Zhang is just one of the outstanding scientists in this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science list.