University of Cambridge spinout OutSee, a drug discovery company pioneering an AI-based predictive genomics approach to target discovery, has secured £1.8m.
The seed funding round was led by Ahren Innovation Capital with additional investment from Kadmos Capital, Empirical Ventures and Panacea Ventures, and the capital will support OutSee’s overall growth strategy.
Invented by Dr Julian Gough (pictured), the firm’s chief executive and founder, OutSee’s proprietary Nomaly technology predicts disease and phenotype ab initio directly from a single genome.
Unlike other methods commonly used for target discovery, the AI-powered engine uses predictive modelling to draw conclusions from the fundamental molecular and cellular biology of the genome, rather than by pattern-matching known genetic associations.
“OutSee’s Nomaly technology is a truly next-generation genomic analysis tool with the potential to transform drug discovery using powerful data-driven insights,” Dr Gough explained.
“It allows us to interrogate smaller datasets, and even data that has already been analysed, to uncover unique target insights that until now would have remained undetected.”
Nomaly can be applied to small datasets, or to unlock new, actionable insights from data that has already been analysed, helping to advance therapeutic discovery and development.
OutSee has previously received over £500,000 in precision medicine grants from Innovate UK to support technology extensions and to test their application on dementia case studies.
Ahren Innovation Capital’s Dr Joanna Green remarked that OutSee has great potential beyond its existing achievements.
“OutSee’s genomics first approach goes far beyond existing technologies, enabling therapeutic developers to precisely comb their data in a way that has never before been possible,” Dr Green said.
“Nomaly has great potential to unlock a deeper understanding of genomic data, discover new therapeutic targets and drive the development of next-generation treatments for the entire spectrum of human disease.”
Dr Johnathan Matlock, co-founder and general partner at fellow investor Empirical Ventures, agreed.
“At Empirical Ventures, we’re seeking out companies that push beyond the boundaries of conventional methods in their fields to significantly enhance the real-world impact of these industries.
“It’s for this reason that we are delighted to be supporting the team at OutSee as it advances a solution that will unlock the future of target ID for drug discovery.”
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