Basecamp Research, a leader in applying AI to life sciences, has secured $60 million in Series B funding to enhance its biological systems design capabilities. The financing round, led by Singular, now brings the company’s total capital raised to $85 million, enabling them to push forward with their mission to leverage biodiversity for innovative biotech solutions.
Investment Overview
Singular, a venture capital firm with previous investments in Soda and Synthflow, led the Series B round. Other investors include S32, Redalpine (known for backing Infinite Robots and Legalfly), as well as key figures like André Hoffmann (Vice-Chairman of Roche), Feike Sijbesma (Chair of Royal Philips and former DSM CEO), and Paul Polman (former CEO of Unilever). Existing investors True Ventures and Hummingbird Ventures also participated in the round.
The funds raised will primarily be used to scale Basecamp’s data collection efforts, with the goal of expanding its proprietary dataset, which is already vastly larger than publicly available data used in pharmaceutical research. Additionally, Basecamp plans to enhance its AI infrastructure, investing in advanced computational resources and developing new foundational models designed to tackle increasingly complex biological problems.
Expansion and New Collaborations
Basecamp Research’s rapid growth is underscored by its successful track record of 15 commercial bioscience partnerships. To support this momentum, the company has appointed industry veteran Anupama Hoey as Chief Commercial Officer. With over 20 years of experience in biopharma and a history of managing deals worth over $5 billion, Hoey is set to drive the company’s next phase of expansion.
Basecamp has also entered into a multi-year partnership with Dr. David R. Liu’s lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. This collaboration aims to develop new strategies for programmable genetic medicines, which could pave the way for novel treatments for a wide variety of diseases.
Insights from Investors
Andy Conrad, former CEO of Verily Life Sciences and a key investor from S32, praised Basecamp’s approach, stating, “Basecamp is tackling some of the toughest questions in life sciences by addressing challenges that haven’t been considered before.” Raffi Kamber, General Partner at Singular, emphasized the breakthrough potential of Basecamp’s AI models, which utilize a comprehensive biological knowledge graph to drive innovation in life sciences.
Leading the Way in AI-Driven Biodiversity
Founded by Glen Gowers and Oliver Vince, Basecamp Research is revolutionizing biological systems design by applying AI to untapped biodiversity data. The company’s proprietary AI platform, BaseGraph, enables them to discover and refine novel proteins for various industrial, medical, and diagnostic applications. This method, which draws on the full genetic, evolutionary, and environmental context of each protein, allows for rapid and precise protein design, without the need for traditional directed evolution processes.
“We are advancing AI’s role in biological design by closing the data gap that has hindered the biotech industry,” said Dr. Glen Gowers, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp Research. “Our technology allows us to unlock new insights, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our biopharma partners.”
Future Outlook
With the fresh $60 million funding, Basecamp Research is positioned to lead the next wave of innovation in drug discovery and sustainable biotechnology. By tapping into uncharted biodiversity and forging key partnerships, Basecamp has the potential to surpass competitors like DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2. While the company’s current focus remains on B2B partnerships, it is poised to make significant contributions to the future of biopharma research.
Basecamp Research is set to reshape the future of biological design with its AI-driven approach, opening doors to new advancements in the life sciences industry.