Warp Sciences has raised $215 million in funding to build AI-powered laboratories that help biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies discover new medicines faster.
The funding round was led by Lightspeed, with participation from Premji Invest, Mayfield, IVP, Lux, Conviction, Menlo Ventures, 01 Advisors, Standard, Lowercarbon Capital, Gigascale Capital, Angular Ventures, Scribble Ventures, Uncork Capital, Innovation Endeavors, Matter VP, Zero Shot Fund, SignalFire, and Moxxie Ventures.
The round also received support from angel investors, including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, Databricks co-founder Ion Stoica, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, and Figma CEO Dylan Field, among others.
Founded by Kevin Weil, DJ Patil, Sol Reisberg, and Mano Paluri, Warp Sciences is building a US-based chemistry research organisation that combines experienced chemists, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics to support drug discovery.
“AI has dramatically accelerated software engineering and mathematics, but it has yet to make the same impact in the physical sciences,” said Kevin Weil, co-founder and CEO of Warp Sciences. “Chemistry and biology move forward when you make something, test it and learn from the result. If we want to build more capable AI for science, we need to generate real-world data at scale. Warp is starting that process by making the research compounds drug discovery needs today, while building the labs and automation to speed the cycle from hypothesis to experiment to answer.”
The company aims to help research teams create and test more chemical compounds in less time. Its laboratories will use data from physical experiments to improve AI models, helping scientists conduct experiments more efficiently.
“I’ve worked with overseas chemistry partners that delivered speed and value, but I still worried about protecting the intellectual property behind our programs,” said Sol Reisberg, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Warp Sciences. “We’re building Warp to give drug hunters that same caliber of chemistry services in the U.S., with IP protection at the center of the relationship, and without the price premium that U.S. boutique CROs currently demand.”
“Warp’s services bolster customer-led discovery programs. Our biotech and pharma customers determine which molecules to pursue and retain control of their drug programs,” said DJ Patil, co-founder and COO of Warp Sciences. “We’re not developing drugs of our own. We’re building the infrastructure for the people who do.”
“Our goal is simple: every experiment should make the next one smarter,” said Mano Paluri, co-founder and CTO of Warp Sciences. “AI needs a closer connection to the physical work of chemistry. Closing the loop between designing experiments, executing them, and learning from their outcomes builds increasingly capable systems for deciding what to make and how to make it. We’re building the software, AI and robotics alongside the lab so each part is shaped by what chemists actually need.”
Warp Sciences will initially focus on lead optimisation and analogue synthesis. This involves creating variations of existing molecules so scientists can compare their properties and identify promising drug candidates.
The company plans to automate more laboratory work using AI and robotics while keeping experienced chemists involved in guiding experiments.
Warp Sciences also aims to strengthen drug research infrastructure in the United States. Many biotechnology companies rely on overseas research partners, and the company wants to provide a domestic alternative that offers faster services and greater control over sensitive research.
The founding team brings experience from companies and organisations including OpenAI, Meta, Terremoto Biosciences, Devoted Health, and the White House.
Unlike pharmaceutical companies that develop their own medicines, Warp Sciences focuses on building research infrastructure for other companies. It does not have its own drug development pipeline.
With the new funding, Warp Sciences aims to expand its AI-driven laboratory capabilities and help biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies test more ideas, accelerate research, and discover potential new medicines faster.
