Paris-based biotech startup AQEMIA, which designs innovative drug candidates for critical diseases, has raised $7.4 million to enhance its generative AI platform for handling highly flexible proteins and RNA targets. The grant was awarded as part of the France 2030 plan.
- Established in 2019 by Maximilien Levesque and Emmanuelle Martiano, AQEMIA develops novel drug candidates for critical diseases, particularly in oncology and immuno-oncology, by combining physics-based algorithms, statistical mechanics, and generative AI.
- The startup accelerates drug design by computationally predicting molecular interactions, enabling a fast-growing discovery pipeline with several programs demonstrating efficacy in animal models.
- AQEMIA, with offices in London and Paris, has advanced several RNA-targeting projects, including a collaboration with Novalix, which has shown promising results in cancer cells.
Details of the deal
- The grant came from France 2030, led by the General Secretariat for Investment. France 2030 is a €54 billion investment plan aligned with the France Relance recovery strategy, aimed at driving technological innovation, industrial transformation, and sustainability.
- Aqemia will use the $7.4 million funding to enhance its AI platform for targeting flexible proteins and RNAs. It plans to study RNA structures experimentally to improve its drug discovery technology, accelerating the development of small-molecule drugs and advancing its pipeline toward clinical trials.
“This funding enables us to extend the reach of our technology to previously unexplored targets, opening the door to new classes of treatments. We are grateful for the continued support that allows us to push boundaries and tackle critical medical challenges," CEO and co-founder of Aqemia, Dr. Maximilien Levesque, commented.
