Bioptimus Secures $35 Million Seed Round to Develop AI Model Tailored for Biology

Paris-based generative AI startup, Bioptimus, is attracting attention with its exclusive focus on applying AI models to the field of biology. Unlike other AI ventures, Bioptimus is dedicated solely to leveraging AI advancements for biological research, capitalizing on the complexities and challenges inherent in this domain.

One of the primary hurdles in utilizing AI for biology lies in accessing training data, particularly sensitive clinical data that is not readily available to the public. While major AI players like OpenAI pivot towards licensing deals with content publishers, Bioptimus faces the distinct challenge of acquiring and handling proprietary clinical datasets.

Recognizing the capital-intensive nature of AI development, especially in the context of biology, Bioptimus has raised an impressive $35 million seed round led by Sofinnova Partners. The round also saw participation from notable investors including Bpifrance’s Large Venture fund, Frst, Cathay Innovation, Headline, Hummingbird, NJF Capital, Owkin, Top Harvest Capital, and Xavier Niel.

Notably, Bioptimus benefits from the expertise of Jean-Philippe Vert, co-founder and executive chairman, who also serves as the chief R&D officer at Owkin, a French biotech unicorn specializing in AI-driven drug discovery and diagnostics. Additionally, Bioptimus's CTO, Rodolphe Jenatton, brings extensive AI experience from his tenure as a senior research scientist at Google, alongside other co-founders with backgrounds at Google DeepMind.

Leveraging Owkin's vast repository of multimodal patient data collected through partnerships with leading academic hospitals worldwide, Bioptimus aims to train its foundational AI model. This unique dataset forms the cornerstone of Bioptimus's ambitious project, positioning the startup as a potential game-changer in biotech research.

While Bioptimus may be seen as a spin-off or moonshot project from Owkin, the decision to establish a separate entity stems from the significant resources required to develop foundational AI models tailored specifically for biology. As Jean-Philippe Vert explains, Bioptimus's singular focus and independence enable it to navigate the challenges inherent in this endeavor more effectively.

Partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Bioptimus has secured access to robust computing infrastructure for training its AI model. With ample funding in place, the startup is poised to embark on its mission of advancing disease diagnosis, precision medicine, and the discovery of new biomolecules with the potential for medical and environmental applications.

As Bioptimus enters this critical phase of AI model development, the biotech research community eagerly awaits the transformative impact of its innovative approach to AI-driven biology.