Antiverse Raises $9.3M Series A for AI-Powered Antibody Discovery
Cardiff-based biotechnology firm Antiverse has secured $9.3 million in Series A funding to scale its artificial intelligence-driven platform for discovering therapeutic antibodies, the company announced Tuesday. The financing round was led by Soulmates Ventures, with participation from Innovation Investment Capital, DOMiNO Ventures, and existing investors DBW, Kadmos Capital, and i&i Biotech Fund.
Antiverse focuses on developing antibodies for diseases considered “undruggable,” particularly those involving complex membrane proteins like G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels. These proteins play a role in a range of conditions, including cancer, neurological disorders, and rare diseases. The company’s approach combines machine learning with laboratory testing to design and validate antibody candidates, a process that, according to the company, can reduce development time to under four months.
Unlike traditional antibody discovery methods that involve screening vast libraries of naturally occurring antibodies, Antiverse utilizes AI models to generate antibody sequences predicted to bind to specific regions of target proteins. These designs are then synthesized and tested in the company’s laboratories using engineered cell lines that mimic human biology. Data from these experiments is fed back into the AI models, refining their predictive capabilities in an iterative “lab-in-the-loop” process.
The $9.3 million Series A represents Antiverse’s first major institutional funding round, bringing the total capital raised since its founding in 2017 to over $20 million. The funds will be used to expand the AI platform, advance internal therapeutic programs, and broaden collaborative discovery efforts with pharmaceutical partners, according to a company statement.
Antiverse has also entered into a research agreement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to develop antibodies targeting the CFTR protein, a historically challenging target in cystic fibrosis research. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease caused by mutations that disrupt chloride transport, leading to mucus buildup in the lungs and other organs. The extracellular portion of the CFTR protein has proven particularly tough to target with conventional antibody discovery techniques.
“The team’s ability to reduce the development time for de novo therapeutic-grade antibodies in a defined domain to under four months is a significant scientific and operational achievement,” said Michal Sikyta, Managing Partner at Soulmates Ventures. “This capability, combined with the AI-driven design and in-house labs, positions Antiverse on track to become a global leader and the proceed-to developer of antibody therapies for the most elusive disease targets in medicine.”
The financing reflects a growing trend of integrating artificial intelligence into drug discovery, with a particular focus on antibodies for challenging targets. Antiverse operates internationally, with offices in Cardiff, Wales, Boston, and Prague, leveraging the scientific talent and R&D infrastructure available in each location.