Shift Bioscience, a biotech company leveraging artificial intelligence to combat age-related diseases, has raised $16 million (£12m) in seed funding. The round was led by BGF, with participation from existing investors F-Prime Capital, Kindred Capital, and Jonathan Milner.
The Cambridge, U.K.-based firm is developing an AI cell simulation platform to identify genes capable of safely rejuvenating cells, potentially leading to more effective treatments for a range of age-related illnesses. This approach builds upon the promising field of cellular reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, which has shown potential to reverse cellular aging.
As life expectancy has increased, so too has the prevalence of age-related diseases, putting strain on healthcare systems worldwide. Shift Bioscience aims to address this growing challenge by combining generative AI models with a high-throughput biological aging clock to predict and validate gene combinations that can safely rejuvenate specific cell types.
Dr. Daniel Ives, CEO of Shift Bioscience, highlighted the significance of the funding, stating, “This investment is indicative of the strength of our approach and is one of the earliest funding rounds for a biotech start-up exclusively focused on the rapidly emerging field of cell simulation for target discovery.”
The new capital will be used to accelerate the development of Shift’s AI platform and build an intellectual property portfolio around novel rejuvenation genes identified through their research. Preliminary results from the platform were well-received at the 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Systems Aging.
Tim Rea, head of early stage at BGF, expressed enthusiasm for the investment, noting, “We’re excited to be backing a British company at the forefront of developing a new class of regenerative medicines.”
This latest round brings Shift Bioscience’s total funding to $18 million (£14m), underscoring growing investor interest in AI-driven approaches to tackle age-related diseases.
