Boots up of $12 million, Bootstrap Bio raised over $12 million last year to pursue human embryo gene editing.
The industry’s collapse mirrors earlier ethical reckonings when He Jiankui’s 2018 gene-edited babies sparked global outcry.
But this time, the shutdown isn’t just about science — it’s a cascade of financial failure and legal peril.
Bootstrap Bio, backed by $30 million from Coinbase and OpenAI executives, vanished in late 2025 after its chief scientist was charged with child sex trafficking.
Manhattan Genomics collapsed within months, buried under internal rivalry and trademark entanglements that clouded transparency.
Neither company advanced a single gene-edited embryo toward birth.
Their exits expose the fragility of venture-backed germline editing ventures operating on thin ice between innovation and regulation.
- Bootstrap Bio raised $12 million from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Oliver Mulherin (reported)
- Manhattan Genomics’ cofounder Cathy Tie admitted a “Cayman-based entity” conflicted with its mission
- Both shutdowns occurred despite early investor interest and scientific collaborations
The companies were not building for today; they were betting on tomorrow.
Yet the road to germline editing remains fraught: unproven safety, international bans, and a public that recoils at the idea of “designer babies.”
One risk is that if editing could prevent disease, it might soon be used to enhance traits — intelligence, height, appearance — creating a new era of engineered offspring.
But no company has yet delivered a viable embryo.
The dream persists, but so does the delay.
