Imperagen, a Manchester-based developer of closed-loop AI-guided enzyme engineering platforms, has raised £5 million ($6.7 million) in seed funding led by PXN Ventures. The platform combines quantum physics simulations, problem-specific AI models, and high-throughput automated lab testing to deliver production-ready enzymes in fewer cycles than traditional methods. The capital will support R&D expansion, wet lab growth, AI team hires, and go-to-market efforts.
Closed-Loop Approach Targets Industrial Scale
The timing comes amid rising demand for sustainable biocatalysts in pharma and chemical manufacturing. Competitors include Arzeda which raised $33M, Zymvol with €3M, and Enzymit with $10M. Imperagen's integration of physics-based modeling with real-world lab feedback addresses gaps where pure AI or in silico approaches fall short at scale.
Slow Trial-and-Error Slows Enzyme Optimization
Current enzyme engineering relies on iterative lab testing that often fails to translate from bench to industrial conditions. Projects can stretch months or years with high uncertainty in performance gains. Imperagen reports typical projects achieve 3-10x improvements in 12 weeks through three iterations, with some early-stage enzymes seeing hundreds-fold gains.
Physics Simulations Plus Lab Feedback
Imperagen's Digital Enzyme Evolution platform screens millions of variants in silico before testing up to 2,000 in automated wet labs per round. This closed-loop retrains models with experimental data for greater accuracy. As incoming CEO Guy Levy-Yurista noted:
"We're building a closed-loop platform that combines quantum physics simulations, problem-specific AI models, and automated robotics."
The approach differs from competitors focused mainly on computational design by grounding predictions in rapid physical validation.
Northern Deep Tech Syndicate Leads Round
PXN Ventures led the round, joined by prior backers IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. The syndicate signals strong conviction in UK techbio spinouts from the University of Manchester. Total funding now reaches £8.5 million.
AI Enzyme Design Market Accelerates
The AI-powered enzyme design market stands at $3.39 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $19.21 billion by 2032 at a 24.2% CAGR per Brand Essence Research. Key drivers include demand for greener chemical processes and faster biopharma development timelines. Imperagen also participates in a £13.5 million UKRI Engineering Biology program.
Team Brings Biotech Research Depth
Founders Dr. Andrew Currin, Dr. Tim Eyes, and Dr. Andy Almond come from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. New CEO Guy Levy-Yurista brings commercialization experience to scale the platform toward Large Catalytic Models.
Industrial Partnerships Drive Next Phase
With recent Innovate UK awards involving partners like Bristol Myers Squibb and GSK, Imperagen plans to expand industrial collaborations over the next two years while hiring AI engineering leadership in Manchester.