Biomatter, a pioneer in enzyme design, has successfully raised €6.5 million in a seed funding round co-led by Inventure and UVC Partners. This milestone marks a significant leap in the application of generative AI in synthetic biology, setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements in the field.

In 2019, Biomatter captured global attention by unveiling the first fully functional enzymes created using generative AI, a landmark achievement published in Nature Machine Intelligence. This breakthrough has since spurred a wave of innovation across synthetic biology. Today, Biomatter's Intelligent Architecture™ platform stands at the forefront of enzyme design, enabling the creation of entirely new enzymes without the limitations of natural templates. This technology is already in use by major global players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, BASF, and Neogen, and the new investment will fuel further development and the production of novel enzymes.

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Enzymes: The Cornerstone of a Sustainable Bioeconomy

As the global population continues to grow, the demand for innovative solutions in medicine, sustainable chemical manufacturing, and efficient food production intensifies. Enzymes, the catalysts of life, are central to this transformation. Currently, enzymes derived from nature play critical roles in industries ranging from diagnostics and gene editing to biofuels and agriculture. However, each new application typically requires a custom enzyme, and designing these molecules remains a formidable challenge.

Traditional methods of enzyme engineering involve tedious trial-and-error processes, which are not only time-consuming but also inherently limited by the properties of natural enzymes. Biomatter’s technology offers a transformative solution to these challenges.

"Enzymes will play a paramount part in the future of the bioeconomy—they are the enabling piece that ultimately allows us to create new molecules, cells, and organisms for the world. The unique enzymes we have successfully developed for our global partners so far demonstrate our capability to go far beyond the existing enzyme improvement paradigm. At Biomatter, we believe that the unlimited capacity to design new enzymes will help to build a better tomorrow for everyone," said Laurynas Karpus, Co-founder and CEO of Biomatter.

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Innovative Technology Paving the Way for the Future

Motivated by the limitations of conventional enzyme design, Biomatter set out to create a scalable and revolutionary solution. In 2019, the company demonstrated the power of its generative AI tool, which can analyze vast amounts of enzyme data to design completely new enzymes. This achievement was a watershed moment, proving that it is possible to create fully functional enzymes with AI.

The Intelligent Architecture™ platform is the culmination of years of research by Biomatter’s scientists and engineers. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on modifying natural enzymes, Biomatter's platform designs enzymes from the ground up, starting with the desired characteristics and building the enzyme de novo. This approach breaks free from the constraints of natural evolution, allowing for the creation of enzymes tailored to specific industrial needs.

This innovation has been driven by the development of advanced generative AI and physical algorithms, which are continuously refined through rapid experimental validation. The result is a new class of enzymes that can be designed in weeks rather than years.

"AI-powered protein design is currently one of the most exciting and dynamic areas for venture capital. Biomatter's innovative approach to designing enzymes from scratch enables them to go beyond the limits of natural enzymes, leading to breakthroughs in biotech. We are deeply impressed by the team and convinced that Biomatter is the trailblazer for AI-based protein design," said Dr. Oliver Schoppe, Principal at UVC Partners.

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Impact Across Multiple Industries

Biomatter's Intelligent Architecture™ platform has already shown its potential across a wide range of industries, including chemical biomanufacturing, agriculture, food, and life sciences. The platform has reduced the enzyme development cycle from years to mere weeks, delivering unique solutions for companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, BASF, and Neogen.

One notable success is Biomatter’s collaboration with Kirin, one of the world’s leading nutrition and health companies. Together, they have developed a novel enzyme-based method for producing Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), essential components of infant nutrition that support gut health, boost immunity, and protect against infections. The ability to produce these HMOs on an industrial scale could significantly expand access to these crucial nutrients for infants worldwide.

“The application of AI in protein design will be transformational, addressing major current design limitations. Early results from projects with global companies show that Biomatter’s technology is dramatically accelerating innovation in this transformative field, reshaping the implementation of enzymes in incumbent and new structures. The team is rapidly expanding its platform to meet high customer demand," said Kevin Lösch, Investment Manager at Inventure.

With a growing customer base and fresh capital in hand, Biomatter is poised to expand its platform's capabilities even further, unlocking the potential to create a new generation of enzymes that could revolutionize multiple industries.