Seed is at the heart of what we do—partnering with visionary founders on a mission to make an enduring impact. We’re proud to co-lead Manas AI’s $24.6M seed round, alongside AI pioneer Reid Hoffman, expanding the possibilities for AI-powered discovery and development of cancer and rare disease treatments.
Applied AI is transforming drug discovery by accelerating the identification of promising drug candidates. With its ability to analyze vast datasets, predict molecular interactions, and streamline testing, applied AI can exponentially reduce the time, cost, and failure rates traditionally associated with bringing new therapeutics to market. In line with our health assurance thesis, we must harness this technological breakthrough to deliver life-saving therapies to patients who lack access to effective treatments.
We’re proud to welcome Manas AI’s co-founders to the GC Famiglia: Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a globally-recognized oncologist, researcher, author of critically acclaimed books like The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, and Pulitzer Prize winner, along with Reid Hoffman, prolific entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, as well as a storied investor. Manas AI’s interdisciplinary team brings together respected experts in AI, computational chemistry, biology, and clinical research, all poised to usher in a new paradigm of drug discovery.
A Paradigm-Shifting Platform
Manas AI’s full-stack platform drives efficient large-scale screening and high-confidence lead optimization, shortening the timeline for discovering effective drug candidates, beginning with aggressive cancers and evolving beyond. Manas AI uses custom-built chemical libraries and AI filters to quickly identify promising therapeutic candidates with exceptional speed and accuracy. In partnership with Microsoft, Manas AI utilizes powerful cloud computing to perform molecular docking—a technique that simulates how a drug interacts with its target protein, helping researchers predict how effectively the drug will bind and function—100 times faster than traditional methods. The company’s Project Cosmos focuses on elucidating the core principles of drug binding, speeding up the discovery of new chemical compounds.
"As a former CEO in the biopharma industry, l'm very familiar with the challenges of the highly complex and resource-intensive therapeutic discovery model. Manas Al has the potential to compress the timeline to discovery of effective drug candidates while increasing the likelihood of success in clinical trials. This is a unique opportunity to dramatically change the drug discovery landscape and make a positive impact on billions of people around the world.” -Ken Frazier, Chairman, Health Assurance Initiatives, General Catalyst, and former Chairman and CEO of Merck
Making Medical Moonshots Possible
Imagine a world where effective treatments for lymphoma, triple-negative breast cancer, and rare diseases are within reach. This is the world Manas AI is creating using the power of applied AI. We are honored to partner with the team to push the boundaries of drug discovery and make AI-enabled medical breakthroughs possible.
