Israeli startup CytoReason has raised an impressive $80 million in funding to advance its innovative AI-powered platform designed for disease modeling and drug discovery. Founded in 2016, CytoReason is pioneering computational disease models that enhance predictive therapeutics, offering valuable tools for researchers aiming to identify potential treatments for various diseases.
This round of investment features contributions from key industry players, including Nvidia, Pfizer, OurCrowd, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. With this financial boost, CytoReason intends to expand its operations, enhance the application of its advanced computational models, and enrich its proprietary database of molecular and clinical information. Additionally, the company plans to establish a new office in Cambridge, Massachusetts later this year, further solidifying its presence in the biotech sector.
David Harel, co-founder and CEO of CytoReason, expressed gratitude for the support from such esteemed investors, stating, “The world understands that data alone is not enough and that the future of data-driven insights lies in data modeling. CytoReason is at the forefront of this revolution in pharmaceutical research and development.” Based in Tel Aviv, the company has created an AI-driven platform that extracts profound insights from human disease data, aiding pharmaceutical researchers in making informed, data-driven decisions.
The platform is designed to help users uncover and compare potential therapeutic targets across a broad range of diseases. By simulating human diseases at the cellular level, CytoReason's technology facilitates a deeper understanding of how prospective treatments interact with the human body, accelerating the path for drugs to reach patients.
CytoReason has been collaborating with Pfizer since 2019, utilizing its AI technology to support various drug development programs. In 2022, Pfizer made a strategic move to strengthen this partnership by acquiring a $20 million equity stake in CytoReason, which included licensing agreements for the platform and disease models in a deal valued at $110 million. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer, remarked, “Our collaboration with CytoReason leverages its cutting-edge immunology multiomics platform to enhance Pfizer’s research and development capabilities and generate invaluable insights into new drug development pathways for patients.”
The startup claims partnerships with six of the top ten pharmaceutical companies globally, including Pfizer, who use CytoReason’s platform to explore treatments across various therapeutic areas, such as inflammation, therapeutics, and immunology.
To bolster its operational efficiencies, CytoReason integrates Nvidia’s computing and AI platforms into its workflow. Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s general manager for health care, noted that CytoReason has achieved a tenfold acceleration in inference of its workloads with Nvidia technology. She added, “Our continued collaboration with CytoReason will empower more life sciences companies to leverage CytoReason’s predictive clinical insights, enhancing the drug discovery process.”
This funding marks a significant milestone for CytoReason, positioning it as a leading player in the biotech industry, set to transform how diseases are modeled and treatments are discovered.
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