Latest news with #LatentLabs
Business Wire
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Introducing Latent-X, a Frontier Generative AI Model for Protein Binder Design Accessible via No-Code Platform for Push-Button Protein Design
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Latent Labs is launching Latent-X, a frontier AI model for push button protein design, outperforming competing models under identical laboratory conditions. The model is available for early access on Latent's no-code AI protein design platform, where users can upload protein targets and generate cyclic peptides and mini-binders directly in the browser. Through the platform, users can generate, explore, and score binder designs, selecting top-ranked structures for further lab testing. The platform includes a free tier for both commercial and non-commercial users. Sign up is available at Latent Labs is a frontier AI lab working to transform the expensive, labor intensive, and high failure rate processes of drug discovery into automated drug design. Traditional drug discovery requires screening millions of random molecules—a process where hit rates are typically well below 1% and each experiment takes months and costs thousands of dollars. With Latent-X, drug designers can generate high-confidence binders with the push of a button, achieving what would typically require testing millions of candidates by testing as little as 30 candidates per target. AI models have recently enabled solutions to previously insurmountable technical challenges in biology. With generative models, frontier AI can go beyond predicting structures to creating new sequences and structures of candidate drugs. "We envision a future where effective therapeutics can be designed entirely in a computer, much like how space missions or semiconductors are designed today," said Simon Kohl, CEO and founder of Latent Labs. "Our platform empowers scientists with lab-validated protein binder design at their fingertips, whether they're experts or new to AI-powered drug design, and without needing AI infrastructure. This is the first step on our mission toward making biology programmable in order to make drug design instantaneous." Latent-X generates functional, high affinity de novo binders with breakthrough laboratory performance. In extensive wet lab experiments across 7 therapeutic targets, Latent-X achieved 91-100% hit rates for macrocycles and 10-64% hit rates for mini-binders. The model delivered picomolar binding affinities for mini-binders and single-digit micromolar affinities for macrocycles, with generated binders showing strong target specificity. In head-to-head experimental comparisons, Latent-X exceeded the prior state-of-the-art, outperforming existing generative tools in both in silico evaluations and laboratory validation. Macrocycles are a sought after drug modality for their potential oral deliverability, with their compactness promising tissue permeability while retaining specificity. Mini-binders are a versatile new binder modality that offers high specificity in a flexible format. Full results are available in our technical report: The Latent Labs Platform allows users to access the state of the art in protein binder design in an intuitive platform for target upload, hotspot selection, binder design, and computational ranking. The platform features structure visualization, predicted structure overlays, and computational metric rankings allowing to replicate the AI workflows used to generate our successfully lab-validated binders. Latent-X is a general purpose frontier model that creates binders from scratch for unseen or previously untargeted proteins, solving the geometric puzzle of binding at the all-atom level. The model generates designs over 10x faster than previous methods and co-samples sequence and structure simultaneously, allowing for computational experimentation within seconds. Latent-X generalizes beyond nature's repertoire by generating all-atom binder structures that obey atomic-level biochemical rules, opening doors to other therapeutic modalities that depend on target-specific binding—nanobodies and antibodies being prime examples. The company is now open to partnerships to bring these expanded capabilities to new drug applications. Only five months ago Latent Labs announced its $50M funding round co-lead by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners, with participation by Google's Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and Eleven Labs' CEO Mati Staniszewski. The team consists of former AlphaFold 2 co-developers, ex-DeepMind team leads, and brings rich experience from Microsoft, Apple, Stability AI, Exscientia, Mammoth Bio, Altos Labs and Zymergen.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latent Labs launches web-based AI model to democratize protein design
About six months after coming out of stealth with $50 million in funding, Latent Labs has released a web-based AI model for programming biology. Latent Labs model has 'achieved state-of-the-art on different metrics' when testing the proteins it developed in a physical lab, according to Latent Labs CEO and founder Simon Kohl, a scientist who previously co-led DeepMind's AlphaFold's protein design team. State-of-the-art, or SOTA, is a term often used in the AI field that represents the industry's best performance to date on a specific task. 'We have computational ways of assessing how good the designs are,' he told TechCrunch, adding that a high percentage of proteins the model creates will be viable when tested in the lab. The company's foundational biology model, known as LatentX, enables academic institutions, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical companies to design novel proteins directly in their browser using natural language. LatentX goes beyond what's found in nature, creating entirely new molecule designs like nanobodies and antibodies with precise atomic structures. This approach can help develop new therapeutics at much faster rare. This ability to design entirely new proteins is what distinguishes LatentX from the AlphaFold, according to Kohl. 'Alpha fold is a model for protein structure prediction. So it allows you to visualize existing structures, but it doesn't, it doesn't let you generate new proteins,' he said. In contrast to AI-driven drug discovery companies like Xaira, Recursion or DeepMind spinout Isomorphic Labs, which focus on developing proprietary medicines, Latent Labs' business model involves licensing its model for use by external organizations. 'Not every company is in a position to build their own AI models, to have their own AI infrastructure, and to have their own AI teams,' Kohl said. While LatentX is available for free, Kohl said the company intends to eventually charge for advanced features and capabilities as they're introduced. Other companies providing open-sourced AI foundational models for drug discovery include Chai Discovery and EvolutionaryScale. Latent Labs is backed by Radical Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, Google's Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and Eleven Labs CEO Mati Staniszewski.
TechCrunch
22-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Latent Labs launches web-based AI model to democratize protein design
About six months after coming out of stealth with $50 million in funding, Latent Labs has released a web-based AI model for programming biology. Latent Labs model has 'achieved state-of-the-art on different metrics' when testing the proteins it developed in a physical lab, according to Latent Labs CEO and founder Simon Kohl, a scientist who previously co-led DeepMind's AlphaFold's protein design team. State-of-the-art, or SOTA, is a term often used in the AI field that represents the industry's best performance to date on a specific task. 'We have computational ways of assessing how good the designs are,' he told TechCrunch, adding that a high percentage of proteins the model creates will be viable when tested in the lab. The company's foundational biology model, known as LatentX, enables academic institutions, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical companies to design novel proteins directly in their browser using natural language. LatentX goes beyond what's found in nature, creating entirely new molecule designs like nanobodies and antibodies with precise atomic structures. This approach can help develop new therapeutics at much faster rare. This ability to design entirely new proteins is what distinguishes LatentX from the AlphaFold, according to Kohl. 'Alpha fold is a model for protein structure prediction. So it allows you to visualize existing structures, but it doesn't, it doesn't let you generate new proteins,' he said. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW In contrast to AI-driven drug discovery companies like Xaira, Recursion or DeepMind spinout Isomorphic Labs, which focus on developing proprietary medicines, Latent Labs' business model involves licensing its model for use by external organizations. 'Not every company is in a position to build their own AI models, to have their own AI infrastructure, and to have their own AI teams,' Kohl said. While LatentX is available for free, Kohl said the company intends to eventually charge for advanced features and capabilities as they're introduced. Other companies providing open-sourced AI foundational models for drug discovery include Chai Discovery and EvolutionaryScale. Latent Labs is backed by Radical Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, Google's Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and Eleven Labs CEO Mati Staniszewski.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latent Labs Secures $50M in Funding to Realize the Potential of AI-Powered, Programmable Biology
Financing was co-led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners, with participation of Flying Fish, Isomer, Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, and existing investors 8VC, Kindred Capital and Pillar VC. Founder, alumnus of DeepMind's Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold team, will lead generative protein design effort. The frontier AI lab enables biotech and pharmaceutical companies to generate and optimize proteins. LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO, February 13, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Latent Labs, the company building AI foundation models to make biology programmable, today emerged from stealth with $50M in total funding to accelerate their progress and partnerships. The company was founded by Dr Simon Kohl, previously a co-lead of DeepMind's protein design team and a senior research scientist on DeepMind's AlphaFold2, the project which earned a Nobel Prize for Chemistry for Demis Hassabis and John Jumper. The funding includes a $40M Series A co-led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners, with the participation of Flying Fish, Isomer, as well as existing investors 8VC, Kindred Capital and Pillar VC. Notable angel investors include Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Transformer architecture inventor and Cohere founder Aidan Gomez, and ElevenLabs founder Mati Staniszewski. DeepMind's AlphaFold solved the decades-old problems of protein structure prediction and showcased how machine learning can help us understand biology; now, the opportunity lies in advancing and applying the latest generative techniques to design proteins from scratch. Latent Labs' platform does just that: by empowering researchers to computationally create new therapeutic molecules, such as antibodies or enzymes, the AI lab will help partners unlock previously challenging targets and open new paths to personalized medicines. What's more, partners can leverage the platform to design proteins with improved molecular features (such as increased affinity and stability), expediting drug development timelines and raising success rates. Latent Labs CEO and founder, Simon Kohl, said: "Every biotechnology or pharmaceutical company wants to be at the forefront of technology to find the best therapeutic molecules, yet not all are in a position to develop the most advanced AI models for the job. That's where Latent Labs comes in. We push the frontiers of generative biology, giving our partners instant access to tools that accelerate their drug design programs." Radical Ventures partner, Aaron Rosenberg, the former Head of Strategy & Operations at DeepMind, where he contributed to spinning out Isomorphic Labs to build upon AlphaFold, said: "We've partnered with Latent Labs because we're confident that this team will realize the therapeutic and commercial potential of de novo protein design. Such a capability has never before been possible, one which can benefit humanity in such a profound way. Accelerating the development of more effective cures for disease, Latent is at the vanguard of innovation in computational biology, and we are excited to join them on this journey." Edward Kliphuis, partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: "Latent Labs transforms biology from an observational science into an engineering craft, granting us precise control over life's building blocks. In practical terms, it means crafting bespoke molecules that tackle challenges once thought insurmountable. It's a revolution in our ability to harness nature's building blocks to develop breakthrough treatments and transform our lives. With pharmaceutical companies overwhelmingly demanding agile, next-generation tools to accelerate discovery and improve patient outcomes, Latent Labs is at the forefront of this rapidly growing market need." Latent Labs has attracted world class talent, bringing experience from DeepMind, Microsoft, Google, Stability AI, Exscientia, Mammoth Bio, Altos Labs and Zymergen. The company is based in London and San Francisco, where it experimentally validates its AI platform in its lab facilities. Researchers can register interest at About Latent Labs Latent Labs is an AI-driven biotechnology company developing AI foundation models to make biology company innovates on and applies generative AI technologies to enable biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to computationally create new molecules for a range of therapeutic, industrial, and environmental uses. Founded by Dr. Simon Kohl, a former DeepMind researcher and key contributor to the AlphaFold project, the company is backed by leading investors including Radical Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, 8VC, Kindred Capital, Pillar VC, Isomer and Flying Fish. Latent Labs operates globally, with offices in London and San Francisco. To join us visit: View source version on Contacts contact@
