Artificial intelligence in biology
Bioptimus – AI that changes the face of biology
France as a center for innovation in artificial intelligence
Bioptimus roots – Owkin support and new challenges
First achievements of Bioptimus
Multimodal base model – a revolution in biological research
New investors support development
Bioptimus – AI that changes the face of biology
The French startup Bioptimus is generating great interest in the technology market, raising $41 million for the development of a groundbreaking AI model dedicated to biology. The company focuses on an innovative approach to the analysis of biological data. It offers solutions that could change the way scientists approach disease research and treatments.
Bioptimus takes the concept of generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, and brings it to the field of biology. Instead of focusing on text generation, the model created by the startup allows you to simulate biological processes. This makes it possible to predict disease outcomes and develop more effective therapies.
Jean-Philippe Vert, co-founder and CEO of Bioptimus, emphasizes that their technology is intended to enable a deeper understanding of biological mechanisms. As he himself said, “it’s like biology’s GPT, but instead of generating text, we simulate biology.” Such innovations can accelerate research in sectors ranging from medicine to cosmetics.
France as an innovation center in artificial intelligence
France is emerging as a leader in the field of generative AI. Over the last 18 months, local technology startups have obtained record financing. The largest investments include $640 million for Mistral AI, $220 million for H and $235 million for Hugging Face. Bioptimus, although it has been on the market for a short time, also records impressive results. The company had previously raised $35 million, and now the total investment has increased to $76 million.
The success of Bioptimus is not only due to the growing interest in AI, but also to the experience of the founders. Rodolphe Jenatton, chief technology officer, previously worked as a senior scientist at Amazon and Google. In addition to his role at Bioptimus, Jean-Philippe Vert is the Director of Research and Development at Owkin, a French biotech unicorn.
Bioptimus roots – Owkin support and new challenges
Bioptimus was born out of the need to develop underlying models in biology, which was beyond Owkin’s area of expertise. Owkin, known for using AI to accelerate drug discovery, has formed numerous partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies and amassed vast amounts of patient data. This data became the basis for Bioptimus, which was able to focus solely on building advanced base models.
As Vert explains, “training very large models requires enormous resources in terms of data, computing power, and a diversity of sources, which are more easily achieved within a separate entity.” Thanks to this, Bioptimus, as an independent player, has greater opportunities to develop its technology.
Bioptimus first achievements
Already in the first months of operation, Bioptimus introduced the H-Optimus-0 model. This open-source solution is trained on millions of pathology images and supports the research and diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. The project has gained recognition among scientists, and the company does not intend to rest on its laurels.
The new funding of $41 million will enable further development of the technology. Bioptimus plans to expand its AI platform with a variety of data sources, which will enable it to support research across an even broader therapeutic range. The company also intends to establish further partnerships with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Multimodal base model – a revolution in biological research
Bioptimus plans to introduce a new, multimodal base model later this year. This solution is intended to cover the entire biological spectrum. It is intended to be used not only in medicine or biotechnology, but also in the cosmetics industry. As Vert points out, “this model will open up limitless possibilities across a wide range of industries, powering biological discovery in ways we are only just beginning to imagine.”
New investors support development
The latest round of financing was led by the American fund Cathay Innovation. This happened with the participation of Sofinnova Partners, Bpifrance, Andera Partners, Hitachi Ventures, Boom Capital Ventures, Pomifer Capital, Sunrise and several angel investors. This shows how much trust Bioptimus inspires among international investors.
Bioptimus is an example of how artificial intelligence can change the face of science. Thanks to its innovative approach and the support of experienced founders, the company has a chance to revolutionize biological research. Its base models can not only accelerate the development of new drugs, but also influence other industry sectors.
Modern technologies such as H-Optimus-0 and the announced multimodal models show that Bioptimus has potential. He has a chance to become a leader in his field. In a world where biological data is key to better understanding health and disease, this startup opens up new opportunities for scientists and researchers around the world.
