Kuano, a drug discovery company that combines quantum mechanics with AI to design advanced medicines, has successfully raised £1.8 million in seed funding. This funding round, led by Mercia Ventures, includes investors such as ACF Investors, Ascension Ventures, o2h Ventures, Meltwind Advisory LLP, and angel investors. Mercia Ventures utilized its EIS funds for this investment, and KPMG Acceleris, a venture capital advisory firm, provided guidance to Kuano.
The funding will support the further validation of Kuano’s quantum simulation platform, which aims to design more effective drug candidates by targeting enzymes. Additionally, the investment will contribute to the company’s growth through strategic partnerships and recruitment initiatives.
Kuano was founded in 2020 by an exceptional team of experts, including doctors Vid Stojevic (quantum physics and AI), David Wright (molecular modelling and simulation), Parminder Ruprah (‘drug hunter’), and Jarryl D’Oyley (computational medicinal chemist).
In the field of drug discovery, dysfunctional enzymes are often associated with various human diseases, making them a significant focus in the drug market. However, scientists have historically only been able to observe enzymes in their inactive states, rather than their fully functional dynamic states. This limitation has made it challenging to differentiate between enzymes and has posed risks to drug safety and efficacy.
With Kuano’s quantum simulation platform, scientists can now visualize and model enzymes in their dynamic states, opening up new possibilities for drug design. By combining these unique enzyme profiles with their suite of AI tools, Kuano can accurately predict the most suitable structures to target specific enzymes. Consequently, drug candidates designed in this manner precisely match the target enzyme, leading to increased potency and fewer side effects. The platform has already demonstrated successful validation in diseases like bowel cancer and lymphoma.
CEO Stojevic emphasized the importance of overcoming the limitations in enzyme-targeted drug development: “Our platform creates a ‘quantum lens’ that reveals the difference between enzymes and allows us to target each one individually, without affecting the others. This funding round will not only continue our laboratory work but also strengthen our management team and prepare us for scaling.”
Robert Hornby, a venture capital investor at Mercia, highlighted the significance of Kuano’s quantum simulation platform in addressing the challenges of targeting enzymes: “Kuano’s quantum simulation platform goes beyond existing AI models and means they can design drugs for previously ‘undruggable’ enzymes. The company addresses a huge untapped market and has already attracted the attention of leading pharmaceutical companies. This investment will enable it to move to the next stage.”
Kuano’s innovative approach to drug discovery, merging quantum mechanics with AI, has garnered significant support through its recent seed funding round. With this financing, Kuano is poised to advance its quantum simulation platform, expand its strategic collaborations, and bolster its team to drive future growth and development in the pharmaceutical industry.
