Business Wire

Bioptimus Hits $76M Funding Milestone and Prepares to Launch Groundbreaking Foundation Model for Biology

Share

Bioptimus announces a $76M funding milestone, with the latest injection of $41M led by Cathay Innovation less than 12 months from its initial seed roundSince the successful release of the largest AI foundation model for pathology in July, the company has been continuing its groundbreaking work and is now poised to release a breakthrough new multi-scale, multi-modal foundation model for biology in 2025The new model will allow the simulation of biology at unprecedented scale and dimension, creating biological innovation for medical, biotech, cosmetic industries, and beyond

Bioptimus, the pioneering AI foundation model company, announced today that it has reached a significant funding milestone of $76 million. This total includes a $41 million cash injection, led by Cathay Innovation with participation from prominent investors, including Sofinnova Partners, Bpifrance through its Large Venture Fund, Andera Partners, Hitachi Ventures, Boom Capital Ventures, Pomifer Capital, Sunrise, and angel entrepreneurs Emmanuel Cassimatis and Thomas Wolf. The funding will accelerate Bioptimus’s mission to build the world’s first universal AI foundation model for biology, aimed at revolutionizing research and innovation across the medical, biotech, cosmetic industries, and beyond.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250114054102/en/

The company has been building momentum this year, assembling a world-class team, securing access to unique data sources, and successfully releasing its first model, H-Optimus-0, the world’s largest foundation model for pathology. H-Optimus-0 has already outperformed all other pathology models in independent benchmarks, including assessments conducted by Harvard Medical School’s HEST program1 and the University of Leeds.2 These studies highlighted the model’s unparalleled ability to predict gene expression from morphology and to subtype ovarian cancer with exceptional accuracy.

Breaking Down Silos in Biology

Bioptimus is redefining how we approach biological research by addressing a longstanding issue: the siloed nature of biological understanding. Historically, research has focused on isolated biological components, such as DNA, proteins, cells or tissues. Even existing AI foundation models operate within these silos, limiting their potential impact. Bioptimus’s revolutionary approach integrates data across multiple scales (molecules, cells, tissues, organisms) and modalities (imaging, genetics, etc), enabling a holistic view of biology as it exists in reality.

Jean-Philippe Vert, co-founder and CEO of Bioptimus, stated: “What we are building is not just a technological breakthrough; it’s a transformative tool for understanding biology in its full complexity. By learning how biology works directly from raw data across scales, from molecules to whole organisms, our model will empower researchers in the pharmaceutical industry to simulate complex biology, predict disease outcomes and response to treatment, and design therapies with unprecedented precision. Beyond pharmaceuticals, this model will unlock limitless possibilities across many other industries, driving biological discoveries in ways we are only beginning to imagine. Essentially, it’s like the GPT of biology—but instead of generating text, we’re simulating biology.”

The funding will enable Bioptimus to enhance its multi-modal AI platform, integrating even more diverse data sources and therapeutic areas, forge strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies and expand critical datasets to further refine and validate its models.

Jacky Abitbol, Partner at Cathay Innovation, said: "Bioptimus is at the forefront of transforming biological research, leveraging cutting-edge AI to break down silos and unlock the full complexity of biology. By integrating data across multiple scales and modalities, Bioptimus is paving the way for groundbreaking innovations across industries, from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology and beyond. We are delighted to see that since our initial investment a year ago, Bioptimus has succeeded in structuring a world-class team, while achieving key milestones in its development, notably with the launch of its AI foundation model for pathology in July, the largest in the world."

By combining the power of AI with a truly integrated view of biology, Bioptimus will empower researchers and multiple industries to solve some of the most complex challenges in medicine, biotechnology, and beyond.

For more information, visit bioptimus.com.

About Cathay Innovation

Cathay Innovation is a multistage venture capital firm, affiliated to Cathay Capital, investing in founders building transformative businesses across Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America and Africa. Its platform connects founders with investors and its ecosystem of leading Fortune500 corporations to help startups scale and transform industries with consumer to enterprise and AI solutions in commerce, fintech, digital health and mobility / energy. Founded in Paris in 2015, Cathay Innovation now manages over €2.5B AUM with additional offices in Berlin, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore and has invested in over 100 startups including Chime, Pinduoduo (NASDAQ: PDD), Glovo, Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), Owkin, Getaround, Ledger, ZenBusiness, Alma, Descartes Underwriting and more.

To learn more, visit us at www.cathayinnovation.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter @cathayinnov.

____________________________________

1 Mahmood Lab, 2024. HEST: Hierarchical Embedding of Spatial Transcriptomics. Available at: https://github.com/mahmoodlab/HEST

2 Arxiv.org, 2024. A New Model for Data Processing in Neural Networks. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.09990

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250114054102/en/

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Textron Aviation to Open New Service Facility at Essendon Fields Airport, Expanding Capabilities in Australia17.2.2025 06:00:00 CET | Press release

Textron Aviation announced today an expansion of its footprint in Australia with the construction of a larger and modernized service facility at Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne to maximize support for Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker customers in the region. The new facility will add more space for servicing aircraft, aiding in faster scheduling with minimal down time to keep customers flying. Construction is set to begin March 2025 and Textron Aviation expects to be fully functional in the new facility by early 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250213028444/en/ L-R: Stefan Wenger, vice president, International Customer Service Centers, Textron Aviation, Brian Rohloff, senior vice president, Global Customer Support, Textron Aviation, Brendan Pihan, CEO, Essendon Fields Airport, Peter Funder, general manager development, Essendon Fields Airport at the new facility site in Melbourne. (Photo: Craig Moodie)

Samsung Bioepis Gains European Commission (EC) Approval for Denosumab Biosimilar (OBODENCE™, XBRYK™)16.2.2025 00:00:00 CET | Press release

OBODENCE™ and XBRYK™ approved by the European Commission (EC) for all indications referencing Prolia and Xgeva, respectivelyMarks Samsung Bioepis’ 10th and 11th product and first endocrinology treatment approved by the EC – adding to its growing portfolio of biosimilars Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for OBODENCE™ (60mg pre-filled syringe) and XBRYK™ (120mg vial), denosumab biosimilars referencing Prolia and Xgeva – formerly referred to as SB16. OBODENCE, referencing Prolia, has been approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and in men at increased risk of fractures, treatment of bone loss associated with hormone ablation in men with prostate cancer at increased risk of fractures, and treatment of bone loss associated with long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy in adult patients at increased risk of fracture. XBRYK, referencing Xgeva, has been approved for the prevention of skel

U.S. FDA Grants Full Approval of Deciphera’s ROMVIMZA™ (vimseltinib) for the Treatment of Symptomatic Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor (TGCT)15.2.2025 00:50:00 CET | Press release

In the MOTION Phase 3 study, ROMVIMZA met primary endpoint of improved objective response rate (ORR) compared to placebo and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in quality-of-life measures, and demonstrated well-tolerated safety profile Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Toichi Takino; “Ono”) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ROMVIMZA™ (vimseltinib), a kinase inhibitor, for adult patients with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) for which surgical resection will potentially cause worsening functional limitation or severe morbidity. The FDA previously granted Fast Track designation and Priority Review for ROMVIMZA, which was developed by Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Deciphera”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ono. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250214768549/en/ “

Venture Global, Inc. Announces Timing of Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call14.2.2025 19:17:00 CET | Press release

Venture Global, Inc. (“Venture Global”)(NYSE: VG) announced today that it plans to issue its earnings release with respect to fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results before market open on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Venture Global will host a conference call for investors and analysts beginning at 9:00 am Eastern Time (ET) on March 6, 2025, to discuss fourth quarter and full year results and provide guidance for the 2025 fiscal year. A listen-only webcast of the call and accompanying slide presentation will be available at Venture Global’s Investor Relations website HERE. After the conclusion of the webcast, a replay will be made available on the Venture Global website. About Venture Global Venture Global is a long-term, low-cost provider of U.S. LNG sourced from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global’s business includes assets across the LNG supply chain including LNG production, natural gas transport, shipping and regasification. Venture Global’s fir

Asa Gudmundsdottir Wright Award Presented as Plans for New Icelandic Academy of Science & Innovation Announced14.2.2025 17:35:00 CET | Press release

Recognizing Contributions to Science and Innovation Iceland’s President, Halla Tomasdottir, presented the Asa Gudmundsdottir Wright Award at a ceremony at the presidential residence. This year’s recipients are G. Fertram Sigurjonsson, Founder and CEO of Kerecis, and Jon Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to science and innovation in Iceland. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250214199674/en/ President Halla Tomasdottir and Kerecis Founder and CEO Fertram Sigurjonsson (Photo: Business Wire) During the ceremony, plans were also announced for the establishment of the Icelandic Academy of Science & Innovation, into which the award recipients will be inducted as members. The academy will provide a platform for collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and academia. It will uphold the tradition o

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye