DeepMind sister company Isomorphic Labs secures USD 600 million to revolutionize drug development with advanced AI technology.
Isomorphic Labs, a spin-off from Google DeepMind, has raised 600 million US dollars in its first external funding round. The funding, led by Thrive Capital, includes investments from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and follow-on investments from parent company Alphabet. Founded in 2021, the company uses the powerful AlphaFold technology to accelerate drug development, which is traditionally time-consuming and costly.
Isomorphic Labs’ technology is based on AlphaFold 3, an evolution of the groundbreaking AI known for accurately predicting protein structures. This scientific achievement earned company founder Demis Hassabis and his colleague John Jumper the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The new system goes one step further and can predict molecular interactions with unprecedented accuracy – a decisive advantage in the development of new active ingredients.
The funding comes at a time when Isomorphic Labs has already entered into significant collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies. Multi-billion dollar agreements with Eli Lilly and Novartis underline the industry’s confidence in the AI-based research platform. As recently as February 2025, the collaboration with Novartis was extended, demonstrating the growing interest in the technology.
Particularly noteworthy is the company’s ambitious goal of bringing the first AI-developed drug candidates into clinical trials by the end of 2025. The initial focus is on the fields of oncology and immunology. Given that traditional drug development typically takes 10-15 years, this acceleration represents a potential turning point for the entire pharmaceutical industry.
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With the fresh capital, Isomorphic Labs plans to further develop its AI platform and expand its internal drug pipeline. The company will expand its teams in London and Lausanne (Switzerland) and extend its existing pharma partnerships. The cash injection follows an impressive growth phase in which Isomorphic Labs quadrupled its research and development expenditure in 2023.
Although the exact valuation of the company was not disclosed, this funding round positions Isomorphic Labs alongside other AI pioneers such as OpenAI in Thrive Capital’s portfolio. The investment signals a strong confidence in the potential of AI to reshape pharmaceutical research and development processes and could mark the beginning of a new era in drug development.
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Executive Summary
600 million US dollar financing led by Thrive Capital with participation from GV and Alphabet
Using AlphaFold 3 technology to accurately predict molecular interactions
Strategic partnerships with Eli Lilly and Novartis worth several billion dollars
Goal: first AI-developed drugs in clinical trials by the end of 2025
Focus on oncology and immunology as initial areas of application
Massive expansion of research and development capacities in London and Lausanne
