Israeli AI start-up Pepticom receives $5m. in Series A funding

"This $5m. investment by Chartered Group signals confidence in Pepticom’s technology and abilities going forward,” said Pepticom founder and CEO Immanuel Lerner.

By AARON REICH
Artificial intelligence (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Artificial intelligence
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Jerusalem-based drug discovery start-up Pepticom announced Thursday that it had managed to secure $5 million in Series A funding from the Chartered Group investment firm.
The start-up, which was founded in 2011 after it spun out of Yissum, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's technology transfer company, utilizes advanced AI technology to discover new peptide-based drug candidates and alleviate development risks by searching an enormous set of possible solutions. This streamlined and less risky process has turned them into world leader in the field of peptide drug discovery.
Research and development of peptide-based drugs has undergone a significant resurgence in the pharmaceutical industry, due to peptides being recognized as both selective and safe, as well as being an integral part of various therapies. Since the process for discovering new drug candidates is still expensive and time consuming, Pepticom's capability for significantly less risky drug discovery is seen as especially valuable. In fact, their groundbreaking technology – which searches through numerous variables also removing any molecules at an early stage that aren't viable – significantly decreases drug discovery costs.
"This $5m. investment by Chartered Group signals confidence in Pepticom’s technology and abilities going forward,” said Pepticom founder and CEO Immanuel Lerner.  “Pepticom already improves discovery time by almost a year, and this investment will further reduce that time and thus improve time to market considerably."
The investment of the Chartered Group, which has already invested in several Israeli deep tech firms, will contribute significantly to the development of newer, more efficient and less risky AI models due to "our belief in Pepticom’s application of AI in peptide drug discovery and the Israeli hi-tech industry,” said Chartered Group chairman Eyal Agmoni. “Pepticom’s unique AI platform allows for multifaceted collaborations, and we are excited to join this company as it revolutionizes peptide drug discovery.  The funding will allow the further development of Pepticom’s unique technology and specific applications.”
According to Yissum president and CEO Dr. Yaron Daniely, “Pepticom’s breakthrough technological platform, marrying AI to pharma and biology, is a unique and groundbreaking approach to drug discovery and highlights the deep multidisciplinary research capabilities of Hebrew University.”