Biomatter Secures €6.5M to Revolutionize Enzyme Design with AI

Vilnius-based synthetic biology company Biomatter has successfully raised €6.5M in seed funding to advance its groundbreaking work in protein design. Formerly known as Biomatter Designs, the company focuses on creating new proteins for health and sustainable manufacturing applications. The latest funding round was led by Inventure and UVC Partners, with participation from existing investors such as Practica Capital and Metaplanet, along with various business angels and industry experts.

Dr. Oliver Schoppe, Principal at UVC Partners, emphasized the significance of AI-powered protein design, describing it as one of the most "exciting and dynamic areas for venture capital" at present. He noted that Biomatter’s approach to designing enzymes from scratch allows them to surpass the capabilities of natural enzymes, facilitating major breakthroughs in biotechnology. Schoppe expressed confidence in the team, stating, “We are deeply impressed by the team and convinced that Biomatter is the trailblazer for AI-based protein design.”

Similarly, Kevin Losch, Investment Manager at Inventure, highlighted the transformative potential of AI in protein design. Losch pointed out that early project results with global companies demonstrate how Biomatter’s technology is significantly accelerating innovation in this field. He mentioned that the company's platform is rapidly expanding to meet high customer demand, reshaping the implementation of enzymes in both established and new structures.

The €6.5M raised will be instrumental in enhancing Biomatter's platform and developing novel enzymes. Laurynas Karpus, co-founder and CEO of Biomatter, underlined the pivotal role of enzymes in the future bioeconomy. He explained that enzymes are crucial for creating new molecules, cells, and organisms, which are essential for the world. Karpus stated, “The unique enzymes we have successfully developed for our global partners so far demonstrate our capability to go far beyond the existing enzyme improvement paradigm. At Biomatter, we believe that the unlimited capacity to design new enzymes will help to build a better tomorrow for everyone.”

The growing global population necessitates advancements in medicine, sustainable chemical manufacturing, and efficient food production, areas where enzymes play a critical role. Enzymes are essential in diagnostics, gene editing, biofuels, and agriculture. However, designing new enzymes is challenging and often relies on expensive and time-consuming trial-and-error methods using natural enzymes. Biomatter claims that its technology offers a more efficient approach to enzyme design, addressing these challenges and expanding potential applications.

In 2019, Biomatter achieved a significant milestone by introducing the first fully functional enzymes created using generative AI. This accomplishment has since catalyzed advancements in synthetic biology, leading to new R&D initiatives worldwide. Biomatter’s Intelligent Architecture platform now enables the creation of new enzymes from scratch, overcoming the limitations of natural enzymes and broadening their potential applications. This platform can create tailored enzymes for various industries, reducing development time from years to weeks.

Biomatter has already produced unique enzymes for companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, BASF, and Neogen. A notable collaboration includes working with Kirin to efficiently produce Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) like lacto-N-fucopentaose I (LNFP I), which are vital for infant health.

UVC Partners, based in Munich and Berlin, is an early-stage VC firm investing in European B2B tech startups from pre-seed to Series A. With around €400M in assets, it typically invests between €500K and €10M initially, with up to €30M per company. The firm’s portfolio includes leaders in deep tech, climate tech, hardware, software, and mobility. Partnering with UnternehmerTUM, the firm has access to exclusive deal flow, a vast corporate network, and top European talent. Notable investments include Flix, Vimcar, and Isar Aerospace.

Inventure is an early-stage VC firm with offices in Helsinki and Stockholm, specializing in scaling Nordic and Baltic startups. Since 2005, Inventure has invested in over 90 companies across sectors like deep tech and consumer internet, managing €377M in assets. The firm typically invests between €500K and €5M in early-stage ventures. Notable investments include Wolt, Swappie, AiMotive, Canatu, Lassie, Stravito, and Medoma.

With this new funding, Biomatter is set to further revolutionize enzyme design, leveraging AI to meet the growing global demand for innovative solutions in health and sustainable manufacturing.