Cambridge startup eGenesis, co-founded in 2015 by genomics pioneer George Church, has raised $125 million in a Series C round as it prepares for an ambitious next step: transplanting its genetically edited pig organs into humans.

The company is using the gene-editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 to create pigs whose kidneys are compatible with the human body. The pigs are designed to be free of viruses harmful to humans as well as genes associated with organ transplant rejection.

Now, eGenesis is preparing to bring its two lead programs, in kidney and pancreatic islet cell transplant, into human proof-of-concept studies.

The Series C round will fuel that step, with capital from Farallon Capital Management, Polaris Partners, HBM Healthcare Investments, Invus, Samsara BioCapital, LifeSci Venture Partners, Irving Investors, Catalio Capital Management, SymBiosis, Altium Capital, Monashee Investment Management and Osage University Partners, along with existing investors. The funding will also be used to further refine eGenesis' technology and scale production.

Since the company's founding, its leaders have emphasized eGenesis' broader mission: to fill the shortage of viable organs for transplant. As of last month, 107,000 Americans were on the national transplant waiting list, and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

“We are proud of the progress we are making in our mission to help solve the global organ shortage,” eGenesis CEO Paul Sekhri said in a statement. “With this financing we are now well positioned to address two of the greatest disease burdens in the U.S. and global health care systems.”