A-Alpha Bio harnesses synthetic biology and machine learning via its AlphaSeq and AlphaBind platforms to measure, predict, and engineer protein–protein interactions. AlphaSeq enables rapid, quantitative measurement of millions of protein–protein binding affinities simultaneously, while AlphaBind predicts binding strength from sequence trained on the company’s interaction database. The company leverages these platforms for in-house therapeutic programs and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and national laboratories. A-Alpha Bio is based in Seattle and was founded in 2017. To date it has measured nearly 10 million quantitative antibody–antigen binding affinities across three pathogen families, which has improved the accuracy of affinity‑predicting machine learning models and helped identify stabilized antigen variants. Recent funding from the Department of Defense will expand its work generating large-scale antibody–antigen datasets and training predictive models for multiple undisclosed pathogen families. A-Alpha Bio combines synthetic biology and machine learning to experimentally measure and predict protein-protein interaction affinities using its AlphaSeq and AlphaBind platforms. The company applies AlphaSeq to generate large-scale binding data and trains AlphaBind models to predict binding from sequence. It uses both platforms to discover and optimize therapeutics for its internal pipeline and in partnership with industry collaborators. A-Alpha Bio raised $22.4M in a Series A2 that brought total funding to $51M. The company said it will use the proceeds to further develop AlphaSeq and AlphaBind and to accelerate its oncology-focused internal pipeline. Led by CEO David Younger and based in Seattle, A-Alpha Bio has announced collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Gilead Sciences to advance molecular glue target discovery, antibody discovery for emerging biothreats, and next-generation HIV therapeutic options. A-Alpha Bio develops experimental and computational platforms to measure, predict, and engineer protein-protein interactions for therapeutic discovery. Its AlphaSeq platform can simultaneously measure millions of antibody-antigen interactions to determine affinity, specificity, cross-reactivity, and epitope engagement, and those binding data feed the AlphaBind machine-learning models. The company has measured tens of millions of interactions with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in support of Department of Defense work. Under a new $2.4M subcontract award, A-Alpha Bio will generate large-scale antibody-antigen binding data for the DOD’s GUIDE program and expand efforts to five prioritized pathogen families. The data and iterative AlphaSeq assays will be used to train and validate ML models to predict desirable antibody sequences and accelerate response to future biothreats. A-Alpha Bio is based in Seattle and was founded in 2017 at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology. A-Alpha Bio has developed AlphaSeq, a proprietary platform that uses genetically engineered yeast to experimentally measure millions of protein-protein interaction affinities simultaneously at a library-on-library scale. The platform generates quantitative, multidimensional data on affinity, specificity, cross-reactivity and epitope to inform machine-learning models for antibody and antigen design. The company was awarded a $1.1M Department of Defense subcontract to generate binding data on antibody-antigen interactions for SARS-CoV-2 variants and to support a collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Under the collaboration, A-Alpha Bio will synthesize multiple antibody libraries and measure binding strength against panels of coronavirus variants to elucidate relationships between antibody sequence and variant binding profiles. LLNL will use the AlphaSeq-generated data to refine ML models aimed at predicting antibody sequences with improved affinity to current and potential future variants. A-Alpha Bio was founded in 2017 and is based in Seattle. A-Alpha Bio provides cell-based tools for quantitative, high-throughput measurement of protein interactions through its AlphaSeq platform. The company aims to accelerate target discovery, library screening, and preclinical drug characterization. Its team includes synthetic biologists, structural biologists, and next-generation sequencing experts. A-Alpha Bio plans to build a new production laboratory and fill key roles across the organization. It intends to generate what it calls the largest-ever database of protein interaction measurements and to expand machine-learning capabilities to determine rules of protein binding and enable in silico modeling of complex protein interaction networks. The company announced a $20.0M Series A to fund these efforts.

Total raised

$63M

Funding rounds

7

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2024