AI-generated from publicly available materials.Adaptyv, a Swiss biotech firm, has secured $40 million in Series A funding to enhance its automated protein-testing laboratories, aiming to address a potential bottleneck in wet-lab capacity as AI-generated biological designs proliferate.
This substantial investment, led by Highland Europe with participation from existing investors such as Ace Ventures, ByFounders, and Y Combinator, positions Adaptyv to scale its operations significantly. The company previously raised $8 million in a Seed round. The focus of this funding is to create automated labs that can be directly accessed by AI systems, facilitating a seamless loop where AI designs experiments, obtains real-world results, and iterates on its designs without human intervention.
Adaptyv’s platform transforms digital protein sequences through a series of processes, including DNA synthesis and experimental testing, to yield physical data on the designed molecules' behavior. This innovation allows for a streamlined approach where AI agents can request experiments via a web platform or API. Recently, Adaptyv tested this approach with Anthropic’s Claude, which designed protein binders leading to a notable success rate in experimental validation.
With plans to nearly triple its lab capacity by 2026, Adaptyv is expanding its operations in Lausanne and establishing a new lab in London. The company aims to broaden its research scope beyond protein-binding tests to include more complex testing modalities, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving landscape of AI-driven drug discovery. This strategy underscores a shift in focus from merely enhancing AI models to building the necessary infrastructure that can keep pace with rapid advancements in AI-generated hypotheses.