Latent Labs, a new startup focused on protein design, has emerged from stealth with $50 million in funding. Founded by former Google DeepMind scientist Simon Kohl, who previously worked on the groundbreaking AlphaFold2 project, the company aims to advance the use of generative AI methods in protein design.

While at DeepMind, Kohl worked as a senior research scientist on the AlphaFold 2 team. AlphaFold 2 has successfully predicted the structures of some 200 million proteins. This breakthrough provided crucial insights into how proteins—the building blocks of life that drive everything from enzymes to antibodies—function based on their 3D structure. It also laid the groundwork for AlphaFold 3, which has predicted the structure of all known biomolecules and their interactions.

A New Approach to Drug Discovery

Like DeepMind, Latent Labs sees the potential of generative AI methods for de novo protein design. But unlike the former, Latent Labs is exclusively laser-focused on protein design. Latent Labs currently validates its findings in its own San Francisco-based wet lab. However, some of the startup's more ambitious plans relate to eliminating the need for wet labs. The company envisions a future where researchers can create custom protein-based drugs computationally, with desired properties "baked in" from the start—potentially saving years in the traditional drug discovery process.

Latent Labs plans to partner with biotech and pharmaceutical companies instead of developing therapeutic candidates independently. The startup has been exploring two possibilities: providing direct access to its models or supporting discovery programs through project-based partnerships. In both cases, one of Latent Labs' more immediate goals is to remove the bottlenecks and hurdles faced by traditional approaches to protein design.

Backing from Notable Investors

The bulk of Latent Labs' announced funding comes from a $40M Series A co-led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners. Flying Fish, Isomer, and existing investors 8VC, Kindred Capital, and Pillar VC participated in the round. Moreover, Latent Labs also received backing from prominent angels such as Google's chief scientist Jeff Dean, and Cohere founder Aidan Gomez.

Currently operating across London and San Francisco, Latent Labs has assembled a team of 15 employees, including former DeepMind scientists and Microsoft engineers. The funding will support further team expansion, particularly in machine learning, and cover the substantial computing infrastructure needed for their large-scale AI models.