The government's Sovereign AI fund has announced cash and compute backing for a UK startup whose new approach to using AI in science could make the design of new medicines faster, cheaper and more reliable than current methods.
Potential Sciences is a British startup aiming to unlock the next big advance in how we use AI to design new medicines.
Along with investment, the company will also get access to compute.
Using AI for the design of new chemicals and discovering new medicines could open up new possibilities for tackling diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s. However, the government says progress has been held back, because AI usually relies on data from slow, costly real world lab experiments.
The new approach from Potential Sciences uses an AI model focused on the fundamental laws of physics, rather than previous experimental data. This could make the AI calculations needed to design chemicals 100 times cheaper than at present - unlocking a wave of new discoveries in fields that are currently uneconomical to focus on.
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: "Potential Sciences is a startup that’s grasping an opportunity Britain is uniquely well-placed to capitalise on: using our deep expertise in data, fundamental science and computing to potentially unleash the next great wave of medical discovery.
"Solving chemistry’s ‘data bottleneck’ could allow researchers to explore new treatments for diseases that are currently deemed too rare or expensive to focus on. This is AI at its best – pushing the boundaries of innovation, ultimately to improve people’s lives."
Science Minister Chris McDonald said: "As a former chemical engineer, I know firsthand how the field can make a real difference; whether that’s discovering new medicines to treat and beat disease, or finding cheaper and more efficient ways to bring innovations to life.
"This investment plays into everything that’s good about British innovation, and shows what could be possible when we bring scientific research together with AI. Backing homegrown success stories like Potential Sciences, we’re giving companies the support they need to realise their ambitions, and backing science and innovation to deliver the medical breakthroughs that people all over the country will benefit from."
