French startup Iktos has secured €15.5 million in Series A funding for its AI-powered drug discovery platform.
The spherical was co-led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation Fund, with participation from Omnes Capital, and can allow Iktos to develop its know-how additional and broaden its SaaS software program providing. The firm is about to launch Robotics, an end-to-end drug discovery platform that makes use of AI and automation of chemical synthesis to speed up drug discovery timelines.
Additionally, the corporate will broaden its software of options to organic merchandise, permitting it to supply totally built-in drug discovery providers to the pharmaceutical business.
Iktos, which was based in 2016, makes use of a know-how platform for deep learning-based drug design that provides important productiveness positive aspects in upstream pharmaceutical R&D. The platform is offered as skilled providers and SaaS software program Makya, and Spaya, a synthesis planning software program based mostly on Iktos’ proprietary AI know-how for retrosynthesis. Its AI options will speed up drug discovery whereas rising the probability of drug candidates reaching scientific growth, with collaborations already in place with Janssen, Merck, Pfizer, Servier, Ono, and Teijin.
According to Yann Gaston-Mathé, the President and co-founder of Iktos, “The application of artificial intelligence to early drug discovery and design offers the possibility of a radical change for researchers exploring such a chemical universe. The technologies we have developed have been enabling multiple partners in realizing this promise. We welcome our new, experienced, investor syndicate and fresh financing that will allow us to execute our plan of being the preferred partner for the industry to address their drug development needs.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Nadiya Ishnazarova of M Ventures acknowledged, “We believe Iktos with its mature technology across generative AI and synthesis planning, and advancements in building fully integrated drug discovery platform has the potential to provide a competitive edge for the pharma industry as AI/ML becomes a core feature of R&D.”
Tanja Dowe, CEO of Debiopharm Innovation Fund added, “We are very excited to collaborate with an impressive syndicate of strong investors M Ventures and Omnes Capital to support Iktos in executing its plans to develop cutting-edge end-to-end AIDD capabilities.”
The funding spherical will allow Iktos to proceed to be a most popular companion for the pharmaceutical business, and the launch of Robotics will allow the corporate to turn out to be one of many first to supply totally built-in drug discovery providers to the sector. With important advantages already acknowledged in its AI options, Iktos is poised to play a number one position within the AI-powered drug discovery revolution.