A Parade of AI-driven Biotechs Going Public in 2020-2021

Over 2020-2021 we have seen a remarkable parade of artificial intelligence (AI), focused on discovering novel therapeutics, going public. This reflects a continuing interest in AI as a transformative technology for the pharmaceutical industry and increasing belief in the wave of technology-driven “neo-biotechs”.

Here we list some notable companies which became public recently. For more information, please, check our unique interactive report “The Landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Pharmaceutical R&D”.

image credit: Chunumunu

AbCellera (ABCL)

AbCellera identifies new drug candidates using its platform for the discovery of antibodies able to prevent and treat disease. The technology is based on various scientific disciplines and tools: microfluidics, hyper-scale data science, machine learning, bioinformatics, and genomics. AbCellera partners with leading biopharmaceutical, biotechnology companies, and global health organizations. On Sept, 14, AbCellera announced a collaboration with Moderna to Discover Therapeutic Antibodies for mRNA Medicines. In December 2020, Abcellera Biologics went on NASDAQ, hoovering up gross proceeds of $555.5 million.

AbSci (ABSI)

AbSci is a leading company intending to reduce costs in the biopharmaceutical industry due to the application of novel technologies for protein production. Integrated Drug Creation™ Platform connects technology and big ideas to out-evolve nature and provide a path to developing novel drugs. The technology enables reducing costs and timelines of drug discovery and manufacturing as well as increasing the effectiveness of drug production processes. AbSci raised above $200 million with its initial public offering.

Berkeley Lights (BLI)

Berkeley Lights Inc. developed a novel technology for single-cell identification, measurement, and manipulation. This technology is revolutionary for science and diagnostics. Scientists and engineers work hand-in-hand to change the understanding, measurement, and application of cell biology for creating new therapies. The company collaborates with Big Pharma organizations, such as Pfizer, Bayer, in the fields of genomic research, drug discovery, and development. The raise from Berkeley Lights’ shares sale after initial public offering exceeded the expectations and was $178.2 million.