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Imperagen

Category: AI in Biotech / Drug Discovery

Manchester-based techbio company using AI, quantum physics simulations, and automated robotics to engineer industrial enzymes faster and more predictably. Imperagen was founded in 2021. The company is led by Guy Levy-Yurista. Based in Manchester, England. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $11.42M. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include PXN Ventures; IQ Capital; Northern Gritstone.

Founded
2021
Headquarters
Manchester, England
Team size
11-50
Total funding
$11.42M

Value proposition

Closed-loop AI-guided enzyme engineering platform combining quantum physics simulations, custom AI models, and automated robotics to deliver production-ready enzyme designs significantly faster and with fewer experimental cycles than traditional methods.

Products and solutions

Closed-loop AI-guided enzyme engineering platform combining: (1) Quantum physics-based simulation of enzyme mutations, (2) Custom problem-specific AI models for enzyme optimization, (3) Automated robotics lab for high-throughput testing with feedback to AI models.

Unique value

Imperagen's proprietary closed-loop system integrates quantum physics simulation (exploring millions of mutation combinations in silico), problem-specific AI models (trained on simulation data, not generic protein language models), and automated wet-lab robotics that feed experimental data back into the AI — making each round smarter. Demonstrated 677x and 572x enzyme productivity improvements in just 5 cycles for a Fortune 500 customer.

Target customer

Pharmaceutical manufacturers, life sciences companies, personal care brands, sustainable fine chemical producers, and industrial biotech firms needing engineered enzymes for manufacturing processes.

Industries served

Pharmaceutical manufacturing; Life sciences; Personal care; Sustainable fine chemicals; Industrial biotechnology

Technology advantage

Proprietary integration of quantum physics simulations, custom AI models (not general-purpose), and automated robotics in a closed feedback loop. Spin-out from University of Manchester's Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (world leader in enzyme design, partnered with Institute of Protein Design in Seattle). IP-rich with multiple technology breakthroughs.

How they differentiate

Unlike competitors that rely on existing experimental data or general protein language models, Imperagen uses quantum-level simulation as its primary data generation method — creating its own high-quality training data before any physical experiments. Its closed-loop system where wet-lab results continuously retrain the AI models creates a self-improving platform that gets smarter with each experimental cycle.

Main competitors

Biomatter; Cradle Bio; Absci

Key partnerships

University of Manchester / Manchester Institute of Biotechnology; PXN Ventures (via GMC Life Sciences Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II)

Notable customers

Fortune 500 personal care company (name undisclosed)

Major milestones

Founded Nov 2021 as University of Manchester spin-out; Aug 2022: £3.5M seed led by IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone; May 2026: £5M seed extension led by PXN Ventures, bringing total to £8.5M; Guy Levy-Yurista appointed CEO (Jan 2026); Demonstrated 677x and 572x enzyme productivity improvements for Fortune 500 customer in 5 cycles.

Growth metrics

677x and 572x enzyme productivity improvements in 5 experimental cycles for a Fortune 500 personal care customer; Total funding £8.5M ($11.42M)

Market positioning

Early-stage deep tech leader in AI-guided enzyme engineering, positioned at the intersection of AI, quantum physics, and synthetic biology. Targeting the $11T+ chemical manufacturing market with a focus on making industrial processes cleaner and more sustainable.

Geographic focus

UK (Manchester) with global reach; targeting pharmaceutical and industrial biotech markets in Europe, US, and globally.

Patents and IP

IP-rich firm; multiple technology breakthroughs (specific patent details not publicly disclosed)

About Guy Levy-Yurista

Ex-CEO of Synthace (life science digital experiment platform); Ex-Chief Strategy Officer at Sisense (big data analytics); PhD in Physics from Weizmann Institute of Science; MBA from The Wharton School; Graduate of Talpiot program at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Two successful exits across US and Europe.

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