Imperagen raises £5 million to use quantum physics, AI on enzyme engineering
Source: TechCrunch
Funding Round
Biotech company Imperagen announced a £5 million ($6.7 million) seed round on Thursday. The round was led by PXN Ventures, with participation from IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. To date, Imperagen has raised £8.5 million ($11.42 million) in funding.
Technology
Imperagen is redefining enzyme engineering with three core technologies:
- Quantum physics‑based simulation – Instead of trial‑and‑error mutations in the lab, the company predicts the behavior of enzyme variants on a computer using advanced quantum physics modeling, exploring millions of mutations.
- Custom AI models – The simulation data feed bespoke AI models that are trained on the specific enzyme challenges Imperagen is tackling.
- Robotics and automation – Experimental data are generated by robots and fed back into the AI in a closed‑loop simulation, continuously refining the models.
Applications
Enzymes are critical across many sectors, especially pharmaceuticals, where they are essential to drug development. Faster, more reliable enzyme engineering can accelerate drug discovery and improve efficiency. Enzymes are also used in food production, biofuels, agriculture, and sustainability initiatives — see the World Economic Forum discussion on enzymatic technology for sustainable manufacturing.
Other startups working in this space include Biomatter, Cradle Bio, and Absci.
Leadership
On Thursday, Imperagen announced that Guy Levy‑Yurista will assume the role of CEO. In an interview with TechCrunch, Levy‑Yurista noted that current enzyme‑engineering processes often fall short: many AI‑powered approaches can pass trial‑and‑error stages but fail at industrial scale. He aims to make enzyme development “faster, more reliable, and more commercially accessible,” helping companies bring better bio‑based products to market.
Levy‑Yurista brings a background in AI, life sciences, and enterprise technology. While the founders will remain at the company, he will lead the development of a vertical AI infrastructure for biocatalysis, scale the AI strategy, and expand commercial and industrial partnerships.
Future Plans
The fresh capital will be used to:
- Hire additional AI specialists.
- Accelerate research and development.
- Expand experimental lab capabilities.
- Build a go‑to‑market function over the next two years.
Levy‑Yurista added that wider use of engineered enzymes could enable industries to produce cleaner, safer products that are better for people and the planet, while also making commercial sense for adopters.