AI Proteins has secured $41.5 million in Series A funding to expand the development of its de novo miniprotein therapeutics, marking a significant step toward establishing a new category of purpose-built protein medicines. The round was led by Mission BioCapital and Santé Ventures, with participation from existing backers including Lightchain Capital, Cobro Ventures, and additional investors.
The company is using the new capital to accelerate development of its AI-driven platform, which integrates generative AI, synthetic biology, and robotics to create miniproteins designed from first principles. Unlike traditional proteins constrained by natural evolution, AI Proteins’ modular miniproteins can be programmed for tailored mechanisms of action, such as targeted delivery or multispecific functions. This flexibility offers an opportunity to expand therapeutic possibilities across numerous disease areas.
The company has also launched a hub-and-spoke business model to scale its core technology while enabling specialized programs to be spun out into standalone subsidiaries. This structure is intended to preserve continuous platform innovation while providing investors and partners with clearer access to the value generated by each new asset.
AI Proteins’ platform has already demonstrated its potential through internal research programs and industry collaborations. The company previously secured a research collaboration and option agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb valued at up to $400 million. Internally, AI Proteins has generated more than 150 molecules, with several achieving in vivo proof-of-concept. Beyond pharmaceuticals, its platform has applications in diagnostics, agriculture, and reagent development.
With the Series A financing, AI Proteins plans to accelerate its pipeline, strengthen its platform, and expand collaborations with biopharmaceutical partners as it positions de novo miniproteins to emerge as a transformative therapeutic modality.
KEY QUOTES:
“Natural proteins evolved under selective pressures in the environment. They did not evolve to be modern medicine. Antibodies changed patient care but are limited by their natural origin. The next wave of biologic medicines will do things that are impossible for natural proteins because they’re made de novo. We start our design process with a target product profile and work backward to create the exact molecule needed. This level of control and precision wasn’t possible before. By industrializing the design-build-test cycle, we generate and optimize miniprotein candidates at speed and scale, and harvest massive datasets that we use to improve our models and accelerate our progress.”
Chris Bahl, PhD, Founder and CEO, AI Proteins
“AI Proteins turned what has historically been artisanal science into a reproducible, scalable process capable of generating molecules across therapeutic domains. We see AI Proteins as a foundational company built to unlock an entirely new class of proteins.”
Steve Tregay, PhD, Managing General Partner, Mission BioCapital
“AI Proteins has built a platform that’s not only scientifically differentiated, but operationally designed for scale. This is a platform that can power a generation of new therapies and advancements across diverse fields.”
Omar Khalil, Managing Director, Santé Ventures
