Founded in 2019, Aqemia, a young business from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), is continuing its rise in the field of medicinal product research using artificial intelligence (AI). It has just raised €38 million in funding, led by Cathay Innovation, and has announced the opening of an office in London.

Aqemia stands out for its innovative drug discovery platform, based on generative AI. This technology makes it possible to rapidly design new molecules, particularly in fields such as oncology. The results obtained during preclinical tests are promising. This funding, described as “opportunistic” by Maximilien Levesque, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aqemia, follows a chance meeting with a Cathay Innovation partner at the Healthcare conference organized by JP Morgan in San Francisco.

With this new investment, Aqemia plans to double its workforce, from 60 to 120 employees. One of the major targets is to launch human clinical trials by the end of 2025, so as to test the molecules resulting from 12 years of scientific research.

At the same time, the opening of an office in London means the startup can anchor itself in a dynamic ecosystem, while getting closer to international talents.

Aqemia is joining a booming market, where businesses like Schrödinger (United States) or Exscientia (United Kingdom) already dominate the scene. The startup is positioning itself as a key player, with clearly stated ambitions to capture the American and Asian markets.

With this new step, Aqemia demonstrates that French scientific innovation can compete with the best businesses in the world, while actively contributing to transforming medical research through artificial intelligence.