Kevin Weil, who left his role leading OpenAI’s science team in April, has launched Warp Sciences. The startup raised $215 million in an investment round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Including that new money, the company is valued at $865 million.
Rather than discover drugs, Warp will focus on improving molecules that researchers have already identified as promising. This work often involves making hundreds or thousands of versions to improve their effects and reduce unwanted reactions. Drugmakers have frequently hired Chinese companies, particularly WuXi AppTec, because they complete this work faster and at a lower cost. However, tensions between the United States and China have increased the risks of relying on these businesses. Weil also says some drugmakers worry about sharing sensitive information with Chinese contractors.
Warp plans to bring this work to the United States through a fully automated laboratory. Its team of about 20 people has already purchased robotic arms and AI chips. During experiments, its chemists will wear cameras and gloves that measure pressure. The information collected will help train the company’s own AI models. Weil says AI has made less progress in this field than in software development and math because drug research depends heavily on experiments. The models need data from those experiments to learn.
