Profluent rakes in $44M in funding to revolutionize protein design with AI

Profluent, a pioneering AI-first protein design company, has successfully closed an additional $35M in financing, bringing the total capital raised to an impressive $44M. This recent funding round was led by Spark Capital, with significant contributions from existing investors Insight Partners and Air Street Capital, alongside a noteworthy syndicate of angel investors from illustrious entities such as OpenAI, Salesforce, Octant Bio, and Google. Prominent among the angel investors is Jeff Dean, the esteemed Chief Scientist of Google DeepMind, highlighting the wide-ranging interest and belief in Profluent‘s groundbreaking work.

Founded on the cutting-edge principle of utilizing AI to decipher the complex language of life, Profluent stands at the forefront of biotechnological innovation. “Our research at the forefront of AI has enabled Profluent to create large language models that begin to learn the blueprint of nature,” remarked Ali Madani, co-founder and CEO of Profluent. The company’s mission is ambitious yet clear: to transition biology from being limited by natural discovery to a realm where precise, AI-driven design can fulfill specific human needs. This approach has the potential to drastically accelerate the creation of breakthrough medicines, reshaping societal health landscapes.

Profluent’s unique methodology transcends the constraints of traditional protein engineering, which often relies on inefficient natural searches or brute-force mutagenesis. By harnessing powerful AI models, Profluent can swiftly navigate an immense combinatorial space, optimizing multiple functional attributes simultaneously. This capability marks a significant shift from serendipitous discovery to intentional, precise design, particularly in gene editing applications.

The latest financing round is a testament to the confidence in Profluent’s ability to fundamentally alter the landscape of biomedicine. Fraser Kelton of Spark Capital, reflecting on his involvement, stated, “As they advance the frontier of AI research in the life sciences, Ali and Profluent are making biology programmable for the first time.” Kelton’s insights draw parallels between the transformative impact of AI in other fields, such as the development of ChatGPT by OpenAI, and the potential for similar revolutionary advancements in biology through Profluent’s work.

Looking ahead, Profluent aims to leverage this investment to further develop its proprietary Large Language Models (LLMs) and datasets, enhance its wet lab capabilities, and advance CRISPR gene editing technologies. The funding will support the creation and validation of novel, functional proteins, edging closer to substantially improving healthcare outcomes and disease treatment methodologies.

With its founding in 2022 by AI and biotech visionaries Ali Madani and Alexander Meeske, Profluent has rapidly emerged as a leader in the intersection of AI and biomedicine. The company’s visionary approach, backed by a consortium of top-tier investors and a robust executive team, positions Profluent to lead the charge in the next wave of biomedical innovation.