Imperagen raises £5 million seed

Imperagen has raised a £5 million seed round to scale a platform that combines quantum physics, machine learning and automated lab work to redesign enzymes for industrial and biopharma uses. The Manchester company said the round was led by PXN Ventures, with participation from existing backers IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported the financing on May 20, and the company announced it on May 21. The company was founded in 2021 by scientists from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and spun out of the University of Manchester. Imperagen says its system links quantum simulation, AI modelling and robotics in a closed loop intended to speed enzyme design and testing. (secure.businesswire.com) Guy Levy-Yurista has joined as chief executive, according to the company’s announcement. (eu-startups.com) ### Who put up the money, and who is running the company now? PXN Ventures led the seed round, while IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone returned as investors, Imperagen said. The company did not disclose a valuation in the materials reviewed. (techcrunch.com) Guy Levy-Yurista joined as CEO to lead the company’s next stage of growth in AI-guided enzyme engineering, the company said. The founders named in coverage and company materials are Dr. Andrew Currin, Dr. Tim Eyes and Dr. Andy Almond. ### What is Imperagen actually building? Imperagen says it uses quantum physics simulations to model enzyme behavior, then combines those results with custom AI models and highly automated laboratory testing. (techcrunch.com) The aim is to improve how quickly researchers can identify enzyme variants with useful properties for manufacturing and therapeutics. Enzymes are proteins used to catalyze chemical reactions, and companies across pharmaceuticals, personal care and industrial biotech use them to improve yields, lower energy use or enable new production methods. (secure.businesswire.com) Imperagen said its platform is designed for applications including pharmaceutical manufacturing, personal care and sustainable chemical production. (techcrunch.com) ### What evidence has the company given that the approach works? Imperagen said it has already worked with a Fortune 500 personal care company and delivered more than 670-fold improvements in enzyme performance. Tech Funding News separately reported the company had achieved more than 500-fold performance gains in five development cycles, though that figure appears to describe the same broader claim set and was not detailed further in primary materials. (secure.businesswire.com) TechCrunch reported that the company’s pitch is to redesign enzymes at scale by combining quantum modelling with machine learning. That framing places Imperagen in a group of techbio startups trying to shorten experimental cycles with software and automation rather than relying only on traditional wet-lab iteration. (secure.businesswire.com) ### Where will the new money go? Imperagen said the funding will be used to accelerate research and development, expand its wet-lab capabilities and build out its go-to-market function. EU-Startups reported the company expects that build-out to take place over the next 18 months. Manchester remains the company’s base, according to the announcement issued on May 21. The next steps named by Imperagen are more R&D, additional lab capacity and commercial hiring as it develops enzyme programs for pharmaceutical manufacturing, personal care and sustainable chemicals. (secure.businesswire.com) (eu-startups.com) (techcrunch.com)