Atomic AI, a biotechnology company fusing cutting-edge machine learning with state-of-the-art structural biology to unlock RNA drug discovery, has launched with a $35 million Series A round.
The current round was led by Playground Global while an earlier seed round of $7 million was led by 8VC.
“To create effective and safer small molecules against undruggable diseases, there is a significant need to develop tools that can accurately predict 3D RNA structures,” said Raphael Townshend, PhD, Founder and CEO of Atomic AI. “Atomic AI is oriented at the cutting edge of AI, RNA, and structural biology. We are creating an entirely new field of drug discovery.”
Atomic AI’s proprietary AI-driven 3D RNA structure engine generates RNA structural datasets, integrating machine learning foundation models with large-scale in-house experimental wet-lab biology to enable the world of RNA drug discovery. In particular, Atomic AI’s technology can discover structured, ligandable RNA motifs at unprecedented speed and accuracy, a critical barrier to current approaches in small molecule drug discovery against RNA. Beyond RNA-targeted molecules, the integrated platform will also enable the design of RNA-based medicines and RNA tools.
“There are well-known RNA sequences that play a critical role in driving disease; however, current technologies lack the RNA-structure modelling capabilities necessary to create confidence in RNA-targeting drug discovery,” said Gene Yeo, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), an expert in RNA biology and member of Atomic AI’s advisory board. “Atomic has created a sophisticated and integrated AI engine that will transform the discovery and development of RNA-targeted medicines.”
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