London-based biotech startup Kiin Bio, which develops virtual scientists to accelerate drug discovery using AI, has secured $2.2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by b2venture, with participation from HEARTFELT_ and rule30.
- Founded in 2024 by Filippo Abbondanza, Bogdan Urse, and Mark Davies, Kiin Bio develops AI-powered software agents, called “Virtual Scientists,” designed to automate and coordinate key steps in drug discovery workflows.
- The company’s platform, KiinOS, integrates directly with laboratory databases, modeling software, and analysis tools. Unlike generic AI solutions that often offer limited gains when added on top of fragmented R&D systems, KiinOS is built to work within existing research infrastructure.
- The firm's goal is to streamline processes such as experimental design, data analysis, and hypothesis refinement through a single, AI-coordinated interface.
- Kiin Bio’s model allows organizations to deploy Virtual Scientists on a per-agent basis, with the software acting as a supplement to human researchers. The system operates within familiar scientific workflows, which can help reduce resistance to AI adoption among domain experts.
"At Kiin Bio, we’re building something fundamentally new: A Virtual Scientist Platform, not just another tool, but an AI-native team of modular scientists that helps researchers streamline every stage of drug discovery, from literature review and lab experiments to bioinformatics and computational chemistry," Kiin Bio's team, commented on LinkedIn.
Details of the deal
- The investment was led by b2venture, a Swiss venture capital firm that supports early-stage European startups. Previously, the firm led a €2.2 million funding round for the French energy transition startup Orus Energy.
"Our team at b2venture is proud to partner with Kiin at this early stage. We look forward to working with the team as they transform drug discovery workflows and unlock new possibilities at the intersection of AI and life science," claims Marisa Krummrich, Investment Manager at B2venture.
- The round saw participation from HEARTFELT_, rule30, and several angel investors.
- Kiin Bio plans to use the $2.2 million to launch its Virtual Scientist Platform, KiinOS, in 2025. The funding will support platform development, pilot projects, and expanding partnerships, as well as onboarding early beta users and growing the team.
