Drug Discovery & Molecular Design - software & AI news

Daily news on software, AI, and companies shaping drug discovery & molecular design.

Showing 229 results
A minimalist representation of an enzyme and chemical bond in dark colors with lime accents.

May 21, 2026

Manchester AI biotech spin-out lands £5m to “rewrite chemical reactions”

Manchester-based biotech spin-out Imperagen has successfully raised £5 million in seed funding to enhance its AI-driven enzyme engineering platform, a venture stemming from research conducted at The University of Manchester.This funding round, led by PXN Ventures with participation from existing investors IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone, brings Imperagen's total funding to £8.5 million. Established in 2021 by researchers Dr. Andrew Almond, Dr. Andrew Currin, and Dr. Tim Eyes, the company aims
A test tube with a colorful chemical solution in a dimly lit lab

May 21, 2026

Concept Life Science and OpenBench team up on AI-driven hit discovery platform for biotechs

Concept Life Sciences and OpenBench have formed a strategic alliance aimed at enhancing hit identification for biotech firms through an innovative fee-for-success model.This partnership merges OpenBench's AI-driven, structure-based discovery platform with Concept Life Sciences' expertise in medicinal chemistry and in-vitro screening. The collaboration promises to expedite the journey from target identification to validated hit series, potentially within a six-month timeframe. OpenBench's model a
A minimalist illustration of a molecule and a computer chip, symbolizing AI in drug discovery.

May 21, 2026

QIAGEN Partners with NVIDIA to Expand AI Drug Discovery

QIAGEN has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to enhance AI-driven drug discovery and biomedical research.This collaboration aims to integrate NVIDIA's advanced computing capabilities and the BioNeMo platform into QIAGEN Digital Insights (QDI). By combining QIAGEN’s extensive biological and bioinformatics resources with NVIDIA's AI technologies, the partnership seeks to improve data analysis, biomarker discovery, and target identification throughout the drug development process.The in
A test tube with a colorful liquid sample in a laboratory setting

May 21, 2026

QIAGEN and NVIDIA partner on AI drug discovery

QIAGEN has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to enhance AI-driven drug discovery through advanced computing and the BioNeMo platform, unveiled at the 2026 BIO-IT World Conference & Expo.This collaboration aims to merge QIAGEN’s extensive biomedical knowledge with cutting-edge artificial intelligence, thereby streamlining processes in drug discovery, target identification, and biomarker research. By leveraging this integration, pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers will be bett
An enzyme sample on a lab surface in a dimly lit laboratory

May 21, 2026

Imperagen Raises €5.8M Seed for AI and Quantum Enzyme Engineering

Imperagen, a Manchester-based biotech firm, has secured €5.8 million in seed funding to enhance its innovative enzyme engineering platform, which utilizes AI and quantum simulation technologies.Recently, Imperagen announced the closing of a £5 million (~€5.8 million) seed funding round led by PXN Ventures, with participation from existing investors IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. This funding brings the company's total investment to £8.5 million since its inception in 2021. The new capital wi
minimalist illustration of a drug compound

May 21, 2026

Concept Life Sciences Partners with OpenBench to Deliver Success-Based Drug Discovery Services for Early-Stage Biotech

Concept Life Sciences has formed a strategic alliance with OpenBench to enhance drug discovery services for early-stage biotech firms through a fee-for-success model.This collaboration integrates OpenBench's AI-driven discovery platform with Concept Life Sciences' expertise in medicinal chemistry and in-vitro screening. The partnership aims to expedite the process from target identification to validated hit series, potentially achieving this in just six months while alleviating upfront costs and
Flat illustration of an enzyme structure with quantum wave representation

May 21, 2026

Imperagen raises £5 million to use quantum physics, AI on enzyme engineering

Imperagen, a biotech startup focused on enzyme engineering, has successfully secured £5 million ($6.7 million) in seed funding, primarily from PXN Ventures, along with contributions from IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. Established in 2021 by scientists from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, the company aims to revolutionize enzyme engineering by leveraging advanced technologies.To enhance the enzyme engineering process, Imperagen is adopting a novel approach that integrates quantum p
A glass vial containing an enzyme sample on a lab bench in a dimly lit laboratory.

May 21, 2026

Spin-out Imperagen raises £5m and announces new CEO

Imperagen, a Manchester-based life sciences spin-out, has successfully secured £5 million in seed funding to enhance its enzyme engineering capabilities through AI and quantum physics technologies.The funding round, led by PXN Ventures and supported by existing investors IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone, brings Imperagen's total funding to £8.5 million. This capital will enable the company to expand its research and development efforts, enhance its wet lab capabilities, and strengthen its marke
A minimalist illustration of a pill representing drug development in biotech.

May 20, 2026

Cohere wants to break into the biotech business

Cohere is making strategic moves to enter the pharmaceutical sector by acquiring Reliant AI, a Montreal-based startup specializing in AI solutions for drug development.This acquisition marks Cohere's second significant move this year, following its merger with Aleph Alpha, a German AI firm. By integrating Reliant's technology into its in-house platform, North, Cohere aims to develop tailored AI tools specifically for biotech companies. Reliant's existing relationships with major pharmaceutical p
A minimalist illustration of a leaf and a chemical structure in a dark palette.

May 20, 2026

EVGN: Revenue fell sharply and net loss widened as focus shifted to core AI-driven pharma and ag chem

Evogene Ltd. (EVGN) reported a significant decline in revenue and an increased net loss for Q1 2026, primarily due to reduced sales from its Casterra division and rising financing costs.Despite these financial challenges, the company is maintaining its strategic emphasis on developing its AI-driven pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products. Evogene is actively pursuing new partnerships and advancing its internal research and development efforts to bolster its core pipelines.This shift to
A minimalist illustration of a DNA strand and molecule in flat design.

May 20, 2026

Incyte and Genesis Expand Molecular AI Collaboration to Accelerate Drug Discovery

Incyte and Genesis Molecular AI have announced a significant expansion of their collaboration aimed at enhancing drug discovery through advanced AI technologies.This partnership marks a pivotal move in the pharmaceutical industry, as it leverages Genesis' GEMS AI platform to utilize Incyte's proprietary experimental data for training large-scale foundation models. The expanded agreement builds on their initial collaboration and aims to accelerate the development of novel molecules across various
A glass vial on a lab bench in a dimly lit laboratory setting.

May 20, 2026

Pharma Roundup: Bristol Myers Squibb Enters Strategic Agreement with Anthropic, Incyte and Genesis Expand Strategic Collaboration

This week, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Incyte made headlines with significant advancements in their artificial intelligence initiatives, reflecting a broader trend in the pharmaceutical industry toward integrating AI into core operations.BMS has formed a strategic partnership with Anthropic to deploy its AI system, Claude, across various functions including research and manufacturing. This initiative aims to enhance productivity by embedding AI directly into workflows rather than just using i