The key facts
- Kevin Weil (ex-OpenAI) launched Warp Sciences to automate wet-lab work in drug development
- $215 million raised at an $865 million valuation; the round was led by Lightspeed, with participation from IVP, Premji Invest and Lux Capital
- The startup wants to move work that is usually outsourced to China (e.g., WuXi AppTec) back and reduce geopolitical supply chain risks
A New Startup at the Intersection of AI and Biotech
Kevin Weil, who previously served as science lead at OpenAI, announced the launch of Warp Sciences — a startup specializing in automating laboratory work for drug development. Weil announced the company and the funding round on X. According to him, the company raised $215 million at an $865 million valuation.
Investors and Goals
The round was led by Lightspeed, with participation from IVP, Premji Invest and Lux Capital. Warp Sciences trains robots to manufacture and test promising compounds discovered by researchers. The company's chemists, equipped with cameras and sensor gloves, train the robots to perform various laboratory tasks. Automating wet-lab work will allow the robots to operate around the clock and speed up the search for new drugs.
Reshoring Lab Work
According to TechCrunch, for years biotech companies have outsourced the most labor-intensive part of the work — synthesizing thousands of molecular variations — to contractors in China, such as WuXi AppTec. With Warp Sciences, Weil hopes to bring this work back and shield the entire drug development process from the geopolitical risks of supply chains.
