Variational AI
Founded Year
2019Stage
Seed VC - II | AliveTotal Raised
$9MLast Raised
$5.5M | 9 mos agoMosaic Score The Mosaic Score is an algorithm that measures the overall financial health and market potential of private companies.
+175 points in the past 30 days
About Variational AI
Variational AI is a company focused on drug discovery utilizing generative AI within the biopharmaceutical sector. The company offers Enki, a platform that generates novel drug-like small molecules based on user-defined therapeutic product profiles (TPP) without requiring prior data. Variational AI primarily serves the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with partners to develop new therapeutics. It was founded in 2019 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
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Variational AI's Product Videos
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ESPs containing Variational AI
The ESP matrix leverages data and analyst insight to identify and rank leading companies in a given technology landscape.
The AI molecular design platforms market includes software platforms that utilize AI/ML to screen vast chemical spaces and predict molecular properties for drug development. These solutions analyze structure-activity relationships, optimize drug-like properties (ADMET), and enable multi-parameter optimization of lead compounds. Core functionalities include virtual screening, de novo drug design, a…
Variational AI named as Leader among 15 other companies, including XtalPi, Iktos, and InstaDeep.
Variational AI's Products & Differentiators
Enki
Enki is a generative AI foundation model, trained directly on molecular structures and properties. Users define the desired compound preclinical target product profile (TPP), the model generates novel and diverse drug-like compounds that meet the TPP. Later, users can select which lead(s) to optimize and perform hyper-efficient optimization while constraining to a defined scaffold. The model will optimize for: Pharmacokinetics, Toxicity, Potency, and Selectivity
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Research containing Variational AI
Get data-driven expert analysis from the CB Insights Intelligence Unit.
CB Insights Intelligence Analysts have mentioned Variational AI in 8 CB Insights research briefs, most recently on Oct 20, 2025.
Oct 20, 2025 report
Digital Health 50: The most promising digital health startups of 2025
Aug 22, 2025 report
Book of Scouting Reports: Generative AI in Healthcare & Life Sciences
Jan 11, 2024
The generative AI in healthcare market map
Jan 8, 2024
4 applications of generative AI in drug R&D
May 9, 2023
7 applications of generative AI in healthcareMay 9, 2023
7 applications of generative AI in healthcare
Expert Collections containing Variational AI
Expert Collections are analyst-curated lists that highlight the companies you need to know in the most important technology spaces.
Variational AI is included in 6 Expert Collections, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
37,333 items
Companies developing artificial intelligence solutions, including cross-industry applications, industry-specific products, and AI infrastructure solutions.
Digital Health
12,122 items
The digital health collection includes vendors developing software, platforms, sensor & robotic hardware, health data infrastructure, and tech-enabled services in healthcare. The list excludes pureplay pharma/biopharma, sequencing instruments, gene editing, and assistive tech.
Drug Discovery Tech Market Map
221 items
This CB Insights Tech Market Map highlights 220 drug discovery companies that are addressing 12 distinct technology priorities that pharmaceutical companies face.
Generative AI
2,951 items
Companies working on generative AI applications and infrastructure.
AI in drug discovery
528 items
Companies using AI to advance therapeutic discovery, categorized into: platforms (primary product is software) and discovery engines (primary product is therapeutics). Additional funnel descriptions reflect how companies are applying AI.
Digital Health 50
50 items
Variational AI Patents
Variational AI has filed 1 patent.
The 3 most popular patent topics include:
- carbamates
- hepatotoxins
- protease inhibitors
Application Date | Grant Date | Title | Related Topics | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
12/20/2023 | Serine protease inhibitors, Protease inhibitors, Carbamates, Vaccines, Hepatotoxins | Application |
Application Date | 12/20/2023 |
|---|---|
Grant Date | |
Title | |
Related Topics | Serine protease inhibitors, Protease inhibitors, Carbamates, Vaccines, Hepatotoxins |
Status | Application |
Latest Variational AI News
Sep 25, 2025
Vancouver, BC (BUSINESS WIRE) - Variational AI, Inc., a generative AI drug discovery company, today announced a collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to apply Variational AI’s Enki™ platform to design and optimize novel small molecule candidates against two undisclosed targets. Under the agreement, Variational AI will use a fine-tuned version of its Enki™ platform trained on Merck’s proprietary data to generate and optimize small molecule candidates against therapeutic targets designated by Merck. Merck will have the exclusive right to develop and commercialize compounds arising from the collaboration. Variational AI will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive milestones with a total potential deal value of up to USD$349 million. “We are excited to apply our proprietary machine learning algorithms to Merck’s extensive and valuable datasets to create unique, fine-tuned generative models of unprecedented power and accuracy,” said Handol Kim, CEO of Variational AI. “This is a compelling framework that has the potential to significantly accelerate and redefine the unit economics of drug discovery.” “At Merck, we are working to harness the potential of AI to improve efficiency, speed, and quality of candidates earlier in the discovery continuum,” said Robert M. Garbaccio, Ph.D., Vice President and Head of Discovery Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories. “We look forward to working with Variational AI to apply their Enki™ platform to challenging therapeutic targets.” Variational AI’s Enki™ platform is based on a foundation model trained on Variational AI’s internal data, curated version of the totality of all publicly-available data, and proprietary generative models to create and optimize small molecules leads based on partner target product profiles. About Variational AI Variational AI is a venture-backed generative AI drug discovery company based in Vancouver, Canada. Founded by machine learning researchers from MIT, Caltech, Google Research, Microsoft Research, and D-Wave Quantum, its proprietary Enki™ platform uses state-of-the-art generative AI models to design novel, optimized small molecules with improved probability of success, thereby accelerating the discovery and development of transformative therapeutics. For more information, please visit www.variational.ai . © 2025 Business Wire, Inc.
Variational AI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When was Variational AI founded?
Variational AI was founded in 2019.
Where is Variational AI's headquarters?
Variational AI's headquarters is located at 577 Great Northern Way, Vancouver.
What is Variational AI's latest funding round?
Variational AI's latest funding round is Seed VC - II.
How much did Variational AI raise?
Variational AI raised a total of $9M.
Who are the investors of Variational AI?
Investors of Variational AI include Flying Fish Venture Partners, A&E investments, Nimbus Synergies, Threshold Impact, Defined Capital and 12 more.
Who are Variational AI's competitors?
Competitors of Variational AI include Aqemia, Atomwise, Iktos, Insilico Medicine, Cradle and 7 more.
What products does Variational AI offer?
Variational AI's products include Enki.
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Compare Variational AI to Competitors
InstaDeep focuses on delivering artificial intelligence (AI)-powered decision-making systems for various enterprise sectors. The company offers solutions that leverage computing, deep learning, and reinforcement learning to address challenges in industries such as biology, logistics, electronic design, and energy. Its products and services are designed to help the capabilities of businesses by providing advanced AI tools and research insights. InstaDeep was formerly known as Digital Ink Group. It was founded in 2014 and is based in London, United Kingdom.
Cradle focuses on protein engineering in the biotechnology sector, using machine learning to optimize protein sequences. It provides tools for designing improved variants of target proteins, integrating laboratory data, and predicting performance to support research and development. Its solutions are relevant for biotech teams working on various applications, including therapeutics, enzymes, vaccines, peptides, and antibodies. It was founded in 2021 and is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Aqemia focuses on transforming the drug discovery process. The company offers technology that combines quantum-inspired physics and machine learning to scale the drug discovery process, generating a rapidly growing pipeline of new drug candidates. It primarily sells to the pharmaceutical industry. It was founded in 2019 and is based in Paris, France.
Insilico Medicine focuses on artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development. The company provides artificial intelligence platforms for multi-omics target discovery, deep biology analysis, automated drug design, and predicting outcomes in clinical trials. The technologies are intended to assist in the process of discovering and developing new medications for various diseases. It was founded in 2014 and is based in New Territories, Hong Kong.
YDS Pharmatech is a company focused on drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. The company offers a platform for the design of new drug candidates, utilizing structure-based de novo drug design and evolutionary AI to accelerate the drug discovery process. YDS Pharmatech primarily serves the pharmaceutical industry. It was founded in 2020 and is based in Albany, New York.
Endel specializes in creating personalized sound environments designed to reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance productivity, utilizing neuroscience and circadian rhythm science. The company offers a range of products, including apps for iOS and Android, integrations with Alexa, and a standalone Apple Watch app, all featuring adaptive soundscapes that respond to real-time inputs such as time of day, weather, and heart rate. It was founded in 2018 and is based in Berlin, Germany.
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