Earlier in the year, Sofinnova had already hinted at its ambitious plans to delve deeper into the digital health sector. This was evident with the establishment of a new unit, spearheaded by partners Edward Kliphuis and Simon Turner. Their mission was clear and profound: to concentrate on investments in companies that operate at the compelling intersection of biology, data, and computation. Such a focus is indicative of the transformative potential of merging traditional biological research with advanced computational techniques.
It has made five notable investments in the digital medicine category to date. Among the recent additions to its portfolio are L’école AI and Betteromics. These two join the ranks of previously announced collaborations with BioCorteX, deepc, and Kiro.
L’école AI is particularly intriguing because of its origins and objectives. Founded by the ingenious minds behind Twitter’s machine-learning platform, Cortex, L’école AI has been granted $3 million. This funding is earmarked for the development of éo, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence engine. éo’s primary function is to assist medical professionals and researchers in interpreting images. The brainchild behind this initiative, Louis-Alexandre Etezad-Heydari, has a rich history in the domain. He co-created Madbits, a deep-learning image analysis start-up that was later acquired by Twitter and subsequently transformed into Cortex. Etezad-Heydari’s vision for éo is not just about image interpretation but to craft a user interface for AI that empowers individuals to create and derive value from their personalised AI assistant.
On the other hand, Betteromics is making waves with its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the Omics AI Cloud. This platform is designed to aid researchers in organising and interpreting the vast data generated by multi-omics projects. What sets it apart is its “clinical-grade compliance”, ensuring data integrity and eliminating data silos. Founded by Angela Lai, Chetan Patel, and Jack Menze, who have previously been associated with monumental infrastructure projects at giants like Google and GRAIL, Betteromics aims to cater to a wide spectrum of users. From diagnostic and therapeutic product developers to biotech manufacturers requiring real-time quality monitoring, the platform promises to be a game-changer. In its journey, Betteromics secured a $20 million Series A financing, with Sofinnova partnering with Triatomic Capital and Shakti in the first-round financing.
Kliphuis, reflecting on the portfolio, highlighted that all five companies are seamlessly blending cutting-edge computational methods with advanced biological innovations. With Sofinnova’s backing, these companies are poised to achieve product-market fit and expand their influence on a global scale.
In an era where data is often termed as the ‘new oil’, the convergence of biology, data, and computation promises to revolutionise healthcare. By positioning themselves at this nexus, Sofinnova is capitalising on the immediate financial opportunities and shaping the future of medicine. Their investments, particularly in companies like L’école AI and Betteromics, indicate a future where AI doesn’t replace medical professionals but empowers them. It’s a future where data-driven insights and human expertise coalesce to offer unparalleled patient care.