Cardiff-based Antiverse, a biotechnology company developing AI-powered therapeutic antibody discovery tools, has closed a $9.3 million Series A financing to expand its computational platform and advance lead programmes toward in vivo studies.
The round was led by Soulmates Ventures with participation from Innovation Investment Capital, DOMiNO Ventures, and existing backers including DBW, Kadmos Capital and & Biotech Fund.
Public reporting does not disclose valuation.
What is Antiverse?
Antiverse applies machine learning and advanced computational design to the early stages of biologic drug discovery, focusing on therapeutic antibodies.
The platform models antibody-antigen interactions and generates candidate sequences tailored to challenging targets such as G-protein coupled receptors and ion channels, protein families conventionally difficult to address with traditional lab-based discovery methods.
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Designs from the AI models are then subjected to laboratory validation to assess binding, specificity and therapeutic potential before progressing towards preclinical development.
Target customers include pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to accelerate early discovery phases, particularly in areas where molecular targets have historically resisted biologic modulation.
The $9.3 million Series A is Antiverse’s first institutional growth round beyond earlier seed injections; prior funding rounds included seed equity and smaller venture financings that cumulatively brought total capital raised to more than $20 million.
The new capital is earmarked for scaling the AI platform, advancing internal therapeutic programmes, and expanding collaborative discovery offerings with pharma partners.
The market context
AI-augmented drug discovery has transitioned from niche experimentation toward mainstream R&D, with multiple startups and established labs integrating machine learning to accelerate target identification and lead optimisation.
The focus on antibodies, especially for historically intractable targets like GPCRs, reflects persistent inefficiencies in conventional discovery that AI promises to address. Comparable Europeans in the space include several generative design platforms and biotechnology firms, though few have closed Series A financings of similar magnitude focused squarely on biologics.
Still, in a segment where many startups stall at proof-of-concept or early validation, this financing anchors a runway for Antiverse to fortify its technological differentiation and expand its role as an external discovery engine for complex targets.
It also contributes to reinforcing Cardiff and the wider UK biotech cluster as a node for AI-augmented drug discovery innovation.
Antiverse now faces the challenge of translating computational promise into demonstrable therapeutic candidates that meet the rigours of preclinical testing and regulatory benchmarking.
Its ability to attract and retain partnerships with pharma and biotech firms will shape how broadly its platform is adopted.
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