# Jacob Borrajo

> Jacob Borrajo is the Founder and CEO of Amber Bio, a Cambridge-based biotech company pioneering a first-of-its-kind RNA writing platform capable of multi-kilobase edits. With a PhD in Biological Engineering from MIT and research training at the Broad Institute, Borrajo has spent his career building at the intersection of CRISPR, machine learning, and synthetic biology. Amber Bio launched in August 2023 with a $26 million seed round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Playground Global, with strategic participation from Eli Lilly and the Retinal Degeneration Fund. His platform's key innovation: treating diseases with high allelic diversity using a single therapeutic product, by editing RNA rather than DNA - making gene therapy safer, reversible, and dramatically more scalable.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Amber Bio
- **Organizations:** Amber Bio, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, MIT, UCLA, Scribio, Coral Genomics, Alix Ventures
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UCLA, Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, MIT
- **Known for:** Founded Amber Bio and raised $26M seed round from top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Playground Global, Developed first-of-its-kind RNA writing platform capable of multi-kilobase edits, Published research on programmable multi-kilobase RNA editing using CRISPR-mediated trans-splicing

## Career timeline

- **2010-2013** — B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UCLA
- **2013** — Began PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT, Paul C. Blainey Lab
- **2014** — Began research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, met future Coral Genomics co-founder Atray Dixit
- **2015-2018** — Co-Founded and led Scribio as CEO, developing CRISPR/Cas delivery technology for synthetic biology
- **2018** — Co-Founded Coral Genomics as CTO, focused on RNA sequencing and genomic measurement tools
- **2020** — Completed PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT
- **2021** — Founded Amber Bio
- **2023-08** — Amber Bio publicly launched with $26M seed round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Playground Global

## Achievements

- Founded Amber Bio and raised $26M seed round from top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Playground Global
- Developed first-of-its-kind RNA writing platform capable of multi-kilobase edits
- Published research on programmable multi-kilobase RNA editing using CRISPR-mediated trans-splicing
- Secured strategic investment from Eli Lilly and Company and the Retinal Degeneration Fund
- Serial biotech entrepreneur with three founded companies across synthetic biology
- Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard under leading CRISPR researchers
- Speaker at RNA Editing Summit, RNA Leaders Europe, and Investival Showcase USA

## Latest updates

- **2023-08** — Amber Bio publicly launched with $26M oversubscribed seed round co-led by a16z and Playground Global, with Eli Lilly and the Retinal Degeneration Fund as strategic investors
- **2023-08** — Published foundational research paper on programmable multi-kilobase RNA editing using CRISPR-mediated trans-splicing on bioRxiv
- **2023** — Speaking engagements at RNA Editing Summit and RNA Leaders Europe, establishing Amber Bio's platform in the scientific community

## Links

- Website: https://amber.bio
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-borrajo-1451735a
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/jacobborrajo

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jacob-borrajo
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-14