Shift Bioscience has raised £12m in seed funding to develop AI technology aimed at reversing ageing.
- The funding will support the startup’s AI cell simulation platform to rejuvenate cells.
- Shift Bioscience’s generative AI platform predicts gene sets that can rejuvenate cells safely.
- The investment reflects the growing interest and potential of AI in addressing age-related diseases.
- Industry leaders highlight the significance of AI combined with biology in healthcare advancements.
Shift Bioscience, a Cambridge-based health technology startup, has successfully closed a £12m seed funding round. This significant investment round was led by the Business Growth Fund (BGF) and included participation from notable investors such as F-Prime Capital and Kindred Capital. This funding is aimed at advancing a generative AI platform which predicts gene sets that could safely rejuvenate specific cells.
The company’s innovative approach focuses on cellular reprogramming to combat age-related illnesses, which have become increasingly prevalent with the rise in life expectancy. Research indicates that 40% of England’s current population is over the age of 50, and 20% are over 65, underlining the urgency of addressing age-related health challenges like cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis.
Dr Daniel Ives, CEO of Shift Bioscience, emphasised that the platform is designed to address the limitations in current cellular reprogramming technologies used for treating age-associated diseases. The technology harnesses the potential of machine learning and laboratory-based biology to simulate cells and discover targets for combating age-related conditions.
This funding round marks one of the early major investments exclusively targeted at cell simulation within the biotech space. Notably, Jonathan Milner, founder of Abcam, has joined the board of Shift Bioscience, further strengthening the company’s leadership. According to Tim Rea, head of early-stage investments at BGF, the investment underscores a significant opportunity to meet the growing challenges in treating age-related diseases through advanced technological solutions.
Shift Bioscience’s pioneering work in AI-driven cell rejuvenation highlights a promising frontier in the battle against age-related diseases.
