Warp Sciences
Category: AI in Biotech / Drug Discovery
Warp Sciences is building a U.S.-based, AI- and robotics-powered chemistry contract research organization (CRO) to accelerate drug discovery. Warp Sciences was founded in 2026. The company is led by Kevin Weil. Based in South San Francisco, United States. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $215M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, IVP, Mayfield, Lux Capital, Premji Invest, Menlo Ventures, Conviction, 01 Advisors, Lowercarbon Capital, SignalFire, Innovation Endeavors, Uncork Capital.
- Founded
- 2026
- Headquarters
- South San Francisco, United States
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $215M
Value proposition
Gives biotech and pharma drug hunters fast, high-quality chemistry services in the U.S., including lead-optimization analog synthesis. Its labs combine expert chemists, AI models and robots, with IP protection at the center and without the price premium of U.S. boutique CROs.
Products and solutions
The initial service is lead optimization analog synthesis: making and testing molecule variations for customer-led programs. Warp is building a robotic wet lab that closes the loop between experiment design, execution and learning. Robots are trained on data from chemists who wear cameras and pressure-sensing gloves. No product name or launch date has been announced.
Unique value
Onshore U.S. chemistry CRO that reduces IP and geopolitical supply-chain risk versus China-based contractors. It runs AI and robotics labs around the clock, and every experiment generates proprietary data to improve its models.
Target customer
Biotech and pharmaceutical research teams running their own drug discovery programs. These teams currently outsource chemistry to offshore CROs.
Industries served
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Drug Discovery, Contract Research (Chemistry CRO)
Technology advantage
Its founding team combines frontier AI (OpenAI, Meta FAIR), medicinal chemistry and data science. The company generates proprietary real-world experimental data to train its own AI and robotics models, with chemists' cameras and sensor gloves feeding robot training. It has hires from Genesis, Skild AI, 1X, Genentech and Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and is well capitalized, with $215M at launch.
How they differentiate
Unlike WuXi and other offshore CROs, Warp is U.S.-based and IP-protective, which matters given the BIOSECURE Act and U.S.–China tensions. Unlike AI-drug-discovery biotechs, it has no proprietary pipeline: customers keep control of their programs. It also uses robotics and AI to undercut the pricing of U.S. boutique CROs.
Main competitors
WuXi AppTec (offshore chemistry CRO incumbent), Lila Sciences (AI-driven autonomous science labs), Periodic Labs (AI plus autonomous labs for science)
Major milestones
2026-04: Kevin Weil leaves OpenAI. 2026-09: early team assembles in South San Francisco. 2026-10-22: emerges from stealth with a $215M Series A led by Lightspeed at an $865M post-money valuation.
Growth metrics
About 20 employees at launch. Raised a $215M Series A at an $865M post-money valuation in October 2026.
Market positioning
A well-funded, AI-native reshoring play in preclinical chemistry services. It positions itself as infrastructure for drug hunters rather than as a drug developer.
Geographic focus
United States (reshoring from China-based CROs)
About Kevin Weil
Ex-OpenAI Chief Product Officer and VP of Science (led OpenAI for Science, which built GPT-Rosalind; left April 2026); Harvard University.
Latest news about Warp Sciences
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Official website: https://warp.xyz