Biomatter Raises €6.5 Million to Transform Enzyme Design with Generative AI

Biomatter, a company at the forefront of enzyme design and part of Vilnius’ tech and life sciences ecosystem, has recently secured €6.5 million in seed funding. This round, co-led by Inventure and UVC Partners, marks a major transformation in the field of synthetic biology, where generative AI is set to redefine the boundaries of enzyme creation.

 

The Biomatter team

 

Revolutionizing enzyme design

Biomatter’s platform, Intelligent Architecture™, uses generative AI to design new enzymes for a variety of applications, including medicine, agriculture, and chemical manufacturing. Unlike traditional methods, which rely on the slow and costly trial-and-error process of making incremental changes to naturally occurring enzymes, Biomatter’s technology allows for enzyme design from the bottom up. This approach allows protein engineers to focus on ideal characteristics for specific applications, limited only by their imagination.

 

In 2019, Biomatter made waves with a study published in /Nature Machine Intelligence/, demonstrating their generative AI tool’s ability to understand complex enzyme data and use it to design new enzymes. This was a significant breakthrough, showcasing for the first time that fully functional enzymes could be created using AI.

 

Dr. Oliver Schoppe, Principal at UVC Partners, highlighted the transformative potential of this technology: “AI-powered protein design is currently one of the most exciting and dynamic areas for venture capital. Biomatter’s innovative approach to designing enzymes from scratch enables them to go beyond the limits of natural enzymes, leading to breakthroughs in biotech. We are deeply impressed by the team and convinced that Biomatter is the trailblazer for AI-based protein design.”

 

Real-world applications

Biomatter’s innovative platform has already demonstrated considerable promise. One notable collaboration with Kirin, one of the world’s largest nutrition & health companies, has led to the enzyme-based production of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs). HMOs are crucial for infant health, offering benefits such as improved gut health and stronger immunity. Producing HMOs on an industrial scale could significantly enhance infant nutrition worldwide.

 

Laurynas Karpus, Co-founder and CEO of Biomatter, expressed his enthusiasm: “Enzymes will play a paramount part in the future of bioeconomy. The unique enzymes we have successfully developed for our global partners so far demonstrate our capability to go far beyond the existing enzyme improvement paradigm. At Biomatter, we believe that the unlimited capacity to design new enzymes will help to build a better tomorrow for everyone.”

 

The road ahead

With this new funding, Biomatter is poised to further develop its platform, enabling the creation of even more novel enzymes. These advances will help launch bio-based products and technologies, contributing significantly to a sustainable future. The investment round saw participation from existing investors, Practica Capital and Metaplanet, as well as esteemed business angels and industry experts.

 

Biomatter’s journey is a compelling example of how generative AI can break existing barriers in enzyme design and open up new possibilities across various industries. The future looks bright as they continue to expand their capabilities and drive innovation in synthetic biology.

 

For more information about Biomatter and to stay updated on their latest advancements, visit biomatter.ai.