AION Labs, the first-of-its-kind venture studio spearheading the adoption of AI technologies and computational science to solve therapeutic challenges, and German independent research institute BioMed X, announced today the launch of its latest global call for applications to identify scientific founders: computational biologists, biomedical scientists, and AI experts to form a new startup at AION Labs’ headquarters in Rehovot, Israel.
AION Labs’ next startup will focus on developing an AI-driven computational platform to systematically identify, rank, and validate molecular target combinations for multispecific biologic drugs. Multi-functional drug modalities, such as bispecific antibodies and multispecific peptides, have demonstrated potential clinical success in treating complex diseases like cancer and metabolic disorders, with hundreds currently in development. However, designing these drugs requires moving beyond single-target approaches toward multi-target molecular discovery.
Traditional target discovery relies on expert-driven hypotheses, literature reviews, academic research, and fragmented experimental data, all generated on a single target with a single drug. The aim of the new AI-driven platform will be to prioritize novel combinations based on disease relevance, biomarker predictability, and on-target adverse reaction risks in therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) diseases, and immune-mediated disorders. The technology developed by the startup will be tested and validated under the guidance of AION Labs’ pharmaceutical partners.
The integration of AI in multi-target drug discovery has the potential to revolutionize the identification of new therapeutic strategies. By systematically analyzing large-scale biomedical data, AI can uncover intricate molecular interactions and propose optimized target combinations that may have been overlooked through traditional methods. This computationally driven approach may enhance the discovery process, enabling development of biologics tailored to specific disease mechanisms while potentially reducing the risk of off-target adverse effects.
“AI is transforming biologic drug design, enabling the discovery of drugs that modulate multiple proteins simultaneously. To fully harness this progress, we must identify the right target combinations for multispecific biologics,” said Dr. Yair Benita, CTO of AION Labs. “By integrating advanced computational approaches with deep industry expertise, we believe this initiative has the potential to enhance the discovery cycle of therapeutic targets and their corresponding drugs, paving the way for novel strategies to address complex diseases.”
AION Labs is inviting global entrepreneurs, computational biologists, bioinformatics scientists, AI and machine learning professionals, and experts in target identification or disease biology combination pathways to submit a proposal addressing the challenge. Original ideas that surpass the current state-of-the-art are particularly encouraged.
As part of the online application procedure, interested candidates are requested to submit an initial project proposal via the BioMed X Career Space at https://career.bio.mx/call/2025-AIL-C08 before May 05, 2025. Further details about this call for applications can be found on the AION Labs website: www.aionlabs.com.
