Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, has launched a new startup called Manas AI, focused on AI-driven drug discovery. Hoffman has partnered with Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a renowned oncologist and researcher, to develop new medicines using artificial intelligence.
Manas AI has secured $24.6 million in seed funding, co-led by General Catalyst and Hoffman, with participation from Greylock Partners. The company plans to use this funding to scale its AI platform, expand its global clinical programs, and enhance its drug candidate pipeline.
The startup's approach combines AI-driven molecule design with wet lab testing, aiming to develop new cancer treatments initially, followed by autoimmune diseases and rare conditions. Manas AI's platform uses proprietary AI filters and chemical libraries to identify promising therapeutic candidates more rapidly than conventional methods.
Notably, Manas AI has partnered with Microsoft to leverage the tech giant's cloud computing platform, Azure, and its AI expertise to accelerate therapeutics for cancer and other diseases. With its unique approach and strong partnerships, Manas AI is poised to make a significant impact in the field of AI-driven drug discovery.
