Profluent Bio

Company Overview

Profluent Bio is an AI-first protein design company founded in 2022 and based in Berkeley, California. The company develops deep generative models to design and validate novel, functional proteins with the goal of revolutionizing biomedicine. Profluent’s mission is to “decode the language of life with AI” by using artificial intelligence to create bespoke proteins for breakthrough medicines.

The company bridges expertise in AI and biology, with a team that has deep experience at leading institutions in both fields. Profluent’s approach uses large language models and other AI techniques to generate and optimize protein sequences, enabling the design of proteins with desired properties and functions.

Products Overview

Profluent’s core technology is its AI platform for protein design and engineering. Some key aspects of their technology and offerings include:

1. Large language models trained on billions of curated biological sequences to generate novel protein designs.

2. Ability to design proteins across multiple modalities including enzymes, antibodies, gene editors, and peptides.

3. OpenCRISPR - An open-source, AI-generated gene editor. OpenCRISPR-1 is the first release, demonstrating successful precision editing of the human genome.

4. Capability to optimize proteins for multiple properties simultaneously.

5. Ability to extrapolate into new protein spaces beyond natural or patented proteins.

6. De novo protein design to create entirely novel functions.

The company aims to use this technology to develop breakthrough medicines and address challenging problems in biomedicine. Their initial focus appears to be on gene editing applications.

Founding Team

The leadership team of Profluent includes:

• Ali Madani - CEO and Co-founder
• Hilary Eaton - Chief Business Officer
• Peter Cameron - VP & Head of Gene Editing

Ali Madani has a background in machine learning and computational biology, previously working at Salesforce AI Research. Specific details on the backgrounds of other founders were not provided in the given materials.

Problem and Market Fit

Profluent is addressing limitations in traditional protein engineering and design approaches. Current methods often rely on inefficient searches within nature or brute-force mutagenesis, which limits the probability of success in developing proteins with desired properties.

In the gene editing space specifically, Profluent notes that many genetic diseases can’t be addressed by wild-type enzymes taken directly from nature. Existing gene editing technologies often face tradeoffs between different functional properties.

Profluent’s AI-driven approach aims to overcome these limitations by:

1. Enabling rapid exploration of a vast combinatorial space of possible protein sequences.
2. Optimizing for multiple attributes simultaneously.
3. Accessing novel protein designs beyond what exists in nature.
4. Enabling custom design of proteins for specific applications from the ground up.

This capability could potentially accelerate and improve the development of new therapeutics, enzymes, and other valuable proteins across multiple industries.

Business Model

While specific details of Profluent’s business model are not explicitly stated, several aspects can be inferred:

1. Partnership Model: The company appears to be open to partnerships, inviting potential collaborators to “build together” and reach out regarding partnerships.

2. Licensing: For their OpenCRISPR technology, Profluent is offering free licensing for ethical research and commercial uses.

3. Custom Protein Design Services: Given their capabilities, it’s likely they offer custom protein design and optimization services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

4. Internal Drug Development: While not explicitly stated, it’s possible Profluent may also be developing its own pipeline of therapeutic candidates using its technology.

Funding and Runway

Profluent has secured significant funding to support its operations:

• Seed Round: $9 million (announced in 2023)
• Additional Funding: $35 million (announced in March 2024)

Total known funding to date: $44 million

Investors include Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures.

The runway (how long the company can operate on current funding) is not specified in the provided information.

Competitive Landscape

While specific competitors are not named, Profluent is operating in a competitive space at the intersection of AI and biotechnology. Other companies and research groups are also working on applying machine learning to protein design and drug discovery.

Profluent differentiates itself through: 1. Its focus on foundational AI models for biomedicine 2. The ability to design proteins across multiple modalities (enzymes, antibodies, gene editors, peptides) 3. The release of open-source tools like OpenCRISPR

The company also emphasizes its ability to go beyond “AI sprinkled on top” of traditional methods, instead using AI as a core part of the protein design process.

Customers

Specific customers are not mentioned in the provided information. However, given the nature of Profluent’s technology, potential customers likely include:

1. Pharmaceutical companies
2. Biotechnology companies
3. Academic research institutions
4. Other companies in industries that utilize engineered proteins (e.g., industrial enzymes, agriculture)

Relevant News

1. April 2024: Profluent announced the successful editing of the human genome with OpenCRISPR-1, the world’s first AI-created and open-source gene editor.

2. March 2024: The company secured $35 million in additional funding and added key industry experts to scale its foundational AI models for biomedicine and tackle its first vertical in gene editing.

3. 2023: Profluent was featured in various media outlets including The New York Times, BBC News, TechCrunch, and others, highlighting the potential of their AI-driven approach to protein design and drug discovery.

4. 2023: The company announced its $9 million seed round.

These developments showcase Profluent’s rapid progress in both technology development and business growth since its founding in 2022.