What You Should Know:
– Converge Bio, a generative AI platform for accelerated drug discovery and development, today announced it has raised $5.5 million in seed funding, led by TLV Partners.
– Converge Bio’s platform uses large language models (LLMs) trained on biological and chemical data (DNA, RNA, protein sequences, and small molecules) to help biotech and pharmaceutical companies discover and develop better-performing drugs in less time.
Converge Bio: Advancing Biotech and Pharma with Generative AI
Founded in 2024, Converge Bio leverages cutting-edge scientific and technical expertise to revolutionize drug discovery and development.
- Leadership Team:
- Dov Gertz, CEO: Holds a master’s in bioinformatics from Tel Aviv University, where he developed a machine learning pipeline to uncover novel CRISPR systems, resulting in a publication with Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna.
- Oded Kalev, CTO: An accomplished machine learning expert, Kalev previously led a 20-member R&D team at the cybersecurity firm Perception Point.
- Mission and Innovation:
Converge Bio is a generative AI hub for Biotech and Pharma, focusing on the accelerated discovery and development of therapeutics using large language models (LLMs). Their platform:- Features a library of foundational models covering biological languages, easily customizable for specific applications via a proprietary data enrichment pipeline.
- Offers AI-driven solutions such as:
- Engineering antibodies for enhanced specificity and fewer side effects.
- Identifying novel drug targets.
- Designing mRNA vaccines optimized for robust immune responses.
- Strategic Partnerships:
Converge Bio collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies, including Teva, as well as innovative drug discovery firms like Compugen and BiomX.
By harnessing generative AI, Converge Bio aims to transform the future of biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.
Generative AI has emerged as a powerful tool for drug discovery and development, with dozens of AI-discovered drugscurrently in clinical trials. “Biological languages, like DNA and RNA, aren’t just random sequences — they have intricate structures and rules, similar to the grammar and syntax of spoken languages,” said Dov Gertz, co-founder and CEO of Converge Bio. “Just like how ChatGPT can instantly generate a string of words to answer a question, a model trained on biological data can help rapidly design optimized mRNA sequences for vaccines, cutting months or years from the process.”
