Persist AI, a leader in AI-driven robotics for pharmaceutical formulation, has launched its innovative Cloud Lab platform, backed by a $12 million Series A funding round. This platform enables pharmaceutical companies to remotely develop and test drug formulations, significantly reducing development timelines and material use compared to traditional methods.
Persist AI launches Cloud Lab for remote drug formulation development.
Secures $12M Series A led by Spero Ventures, with Eli Lilly and others.
Reduces formulation time from years to months using AI and robotics.
Tests 700 formulations in two months vs. industry standard of 10-15.
Supports peptides, small molecules, antibodies, and oligonucleotides.
Minimizes material use with 1 mL liquid and milligrams per test.
Persist AI’s Cloud Lab allows pharmaceutical companies to predict and test drug formulations remotely using advanced AI models and robotic systems. The platform supports a wide range of modalities, including peptides, small molecules, antibodies, and anti-sense oligonucleotides, serving top-tier pharmaceutical clients and smaller biotechs. “Every drug that reaches the market depends on an optimal formulation,” said Sara Eshelman, General Partner at Spero Ventures. “Persist dramatically reduces both the time and cost at every stage of development, ultimately lowering the hurdle for investment in next-generation therapeutics like long-acting injectables.”
The platform’s AI models predict formulation recipes, which are then built and tested using Persist’s robotic lab. In a recent project, Persist identified an optimal long-acting injectable formulation in just two months, testing 700 formulations compared to the industry’s standard of 10-15 per month. “AI is enabling pharma to discover new molecules faster than ever. But a molecule that has poor shelf life cannot become a drug product that sits on a shelf,” said Karthik Raman, CEO of Persist. “Our mission is to convert these novel molecules into products, such as tablets and injections that patients can use.”
Persist’s miniaturized systems require only 1 mL of liquid and a few milligrams of material per test, compared to traditional methods needing 1000 mL and several grams. This efficiency conserves valuable drugs and enables high-throughput testing. “Persist AI has assembled a talented chemistry, engineering, and software team that develops exceptional automated solutions for formulation development workflows,” said Chris Shelner, COO of Persist.
The $12 million Series A, led by Spero Ventures with participation from MBX Capital, Eli Lilly, and others, will fund a GMP manufacturing system for long-acting injectables in collaboration with Nivagen Pharmaceuticals. It will also expand the robotic lab and enhance AI training datasets to broaden formulation capabilities. Persist is actively seeking partners for co-development of drug products and AI-driven platforms.
Persist AI’s Cloud Lab is set to transform pharmaceutical formulation by combining AI and robotics to deliver faster, cost-effective solutions. With strong funding and a proven platform, Persist is poised to accelerate drug development, benefiting patients and the industry worldwide.
Persist AI is revolutionizing pharmaceutical development through AI-driven robotics for formulation development and CMC. By combining predictive AI models with automated robotic systems, Persist AI enables pharmaceutical companies to develop drug formulations in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional approaches. The company works across multiple modalities and formulation types to accelerate bringing novel therapeutics to patients. Persist AI is a Y Combinator-backed company, having graduated from the prestigious startup accelerator in 2023.
Karthik Raman, CEO and Co-founder of Persist, brings extensive expertise in formulation development. Prior to founding Persist, Raman was part of the automation team at Zymergen, developing the next generation robotic factory for synthetic biology. Co-founder Christopher Shelner serves as Chief Operating Officer, with significant expertise in automation design, operations, and deployment from his work at industry leaders including Northrop Grumman and Apple.
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