Bezos Bets Big on AI Biomanufacturing: Profluent Raises $106M to Usher in the 'ChatGPT Moment' for Gene Editing

Just recently,AIBiotech CompanyProfluentAnnouncementHave Obtained1.06Billion US dollars(Approximately RMB 754 million)New Financing。

This round of financing was led byAltimeter CapitalAndBezos ExpeditionsCommonLed by two investors with significant backgrounds.

Altimeter CapitalIs a famous technology fund in Silicon Valley, successfully invested inSnowflake、OpenAI, etc., whileBezos Expeditionsis the founder of Amazon and the former world's richest manBezosPersonal investment company.

Two MajorTop-tier Investment InstitutionsJoint BetProfluent，ReflectStrong confidence in its technical route and commercial prospects。

Founded by the author of ProGen

ProfluentFounded in2022Year, headquartered inBerkeley, California, USA，Is aAIProtein DesignTheCompany 。

Founder and CEOAli MadaniPh.D.Is a typical technology-oriented founder, graduated fromUniversity of California, Berkeley，Once wasSalesforce AI ResearchTheProGenThe first author。

Profluent once reportedProGenThis model once sparked widespread discussion in the industry.

ItsThe core breakthrough lies in,It is the first timeSuccessfullyNatural Language Processing Technology Applied to Protein Design，Able to generate from scratch artificial proteins that do not exist in nature but possess specific functions and stable structures.。

Therefore, whenAli MadaniAnnounce the establishmentProfluent BioWhen, i.e.Obtained byInsight PartnersLeading the investment900Million-dollar seed funding round.

Ali MadaniWe firmly believe that the future of biology will move towards digitization and programmability.

Based on this belief, ProfluentInstead of following the traditional biological discovery route, they attempted something more direct:UtilizeAIModel designs new proteins on demand. 

This method heavily relies on vast protein datasets,Profluent has builtExceed1150Hundred MillionProtein sequence“Protein Atlas”，It is one of the largest private biological datasets known in the industry.

Since its establishment, the company has released multipleAILife science models, used for generating novel proteins, includingproseLM、Protein2PAM And ProGen3。  

Currently,Profluent's LatestAIProtein DesignThe model isProGen3，which can generate novel antibodies through a single input prompt. The results show that these antibodies are comparable to commercial antibodies in binding to target proteins, or even significantly stronger, while being structurally distinct and non-infringing on existing patents.

However, Profluent's ultimate goal goes far beyond launching a few successful products. It aims to create aAI-Driven Protein Design Platform,This is analogous to an operating system for the life sciences.

In the company's view，AIYesLife ScienceThe breakthrough is not only in design but also includes a series of related technological advancements, including manufacturing, cellular therapeutic components, and delivery, among others.

Profluent The goal is to provide"One-stop"Biological ModelSolution, instead of letting customers10Seeking Services from Different Companies at Home。

Therefore,ProfluentA large amount of resources have been invested in the gene editing large model.

In April 2024, Profluent released its breakthrough achievement——OpenCRISPR-1 。The company said,OpenCRISPR-1Is the world's first generative AI-basedGene Editor.

Figure:Design CLanguage Modeling Approaches for RISPR-Cas Systems

This model is capable of generating highly functionalCRISPR–CasProteins provide new directions for the development of gene editing technology.

In the pharmaceutical field, the model generatesCRISPR–CasProteins can be used to develop safer and more efficient gene therapy solutions.

In the field of agriculture, gene editing technology can be used to improve crop varieties, enhancing their disease resistance, stress tolerance, and yield. The emergence of new editing tools will provide more options for agricultural biotechnology.

In terms of cooperation,ProfluentAnd Genomics Companies under DanaherIDT Conducts In-Depth CooperationWork,Co-design and optimize the next generation of enzymes.

Bezos is optimistic aboutAILife Science

Notably, this also marks the first investment by Jeff Bezos, the former global richest person and founder of Amazon, into...AIPharmaceutical company.

After retiring from Amazon, Bezos hasn't slowed down at all. Not only is he focused on his beloved space endeavors, but he has also invested heavily in cutting-edge technology fields, while remaining active on the charity and investment stages.

Especially in the life sciences field favored by billionaires, Bezos has also invested heavily.

Bezos Focuses on Two Major Directions in Life Sciences:

Cutting-edge Anti-aging Technology：Anti-Aging CompanyAltos LabsThe financing amount is as high as30 billion dollars, Bezos is one of its main investors, and he also invested inUnity Biotechnology，The company focuses on eliminating senescent cells.

Sustainable technologies such as synthetic biology：HeFoundedBezos Center for Sustainable Protein，FocusCultivated Meat, Precision Fermentation Technology, Development of Alternative Protein Foods。

And inAIIn terms of Bezos,Favoring those who canAI+PhysicsDeep IntegrationProject.

For example, Bezos invested inAutomated LaboratoryPeriodic Labs, orEmbodied Robotics CompanyPhysical Intelligence, are all committed to makingAIPlay a role in real physical environments and experiments。

A Few DaysPreviously, Bezos also funded the establishment of the AI company Project Prom.etheus，Startups Have Raised $6.2 Billion in Funding, Focusing onPhysical Artificial Intelligence.

In summary, Bezos is willing to make long-term, large bets on companies he believes in.

And this investmentProfluent, what he has his eyes on is not just oneAIBiotechnology companies, as the future of AI transforming biology, have the potential to build a trillion-dollar industry opportunity on top of this.

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