Antiverse joins Cardiff Innovations

The biotech start-up Antiverse has joined Cardiff Innovations.

Antiverse is striving to engineer the future of drug​ discovery​, with an overarching goal to generate novel therapeutics ​that can change the course of ​people’s lives. Antiverse uses machine learning with wet lab techniques to optimise and progress drug discovery. Overall, they are helping​ to reduce timelines for drug discovery, improve the quality of therapeutic biologics, and increase the probabilities of success​ for R&D projects​​     ​

Co-founded in 2017 by engineers Murat Tunaboylu and Ben Holland, Antiverse is recogni​s​ed as one of the top biotech startups in the UK. Its antibody discovery service is already in use by major pharmaceutical companies.

Ben Holland said: “Antiverse is a truly collaborative business. We bring together expertise across structural biology, machine learning and medicine as we strive for breakthroughs in drug discovery.

“That’s why we are delighted to be joining Cardiff Innovations. The University not only provides access to research expertise that underpins our work, but also offers business services through our tenancy, including proximity to expert advisors, co-working space, meeting rooms, high-end conference facilities and access to talented entrepreneurial graduates.”

Antiverse’s lab scientists and computer scientists work together to generate specific antibody ​candidates​ for therapeutic targets using their AI-Augmented drug discovery platform. Through developing cells with high receptor counts, they are able to screen these ​candidates​ to identify ​the ​most effective binders, forming an innovative interface for biologics discovery​ by​ utilising the expanding influence and capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Cardiff University’s Innovation Operations Manager, Rhys Pearce-Palmer said: “Antiverse ​has​​     ​ been part of the Cardiff University community since 2020, when they moved into Cardiff Medicentre, a joint venture between the University and Cardiff & Vale University Health Board.

“Not only have Antiverse thrived and are now ready to expand, but they're also choosing to stay with the University by taking a larger space in Cardiff Innovations.

“Cardiff Innovations occupies roughly half of the stunning new sbarc|spark building and is home to lab-based Life Science companies as well as office-based tech and high-growth businesses.

“The work Antiverse does spans in-house lab expertise to state-of-the-art machine learning, which makes them a great fit. We're delighted to welcome them to the family.”

Comprising 17,500 sq.ft of dedicated space spread across 4 floors, Cardiff Innovations is equipped with lettable office space, formal and informal meeting areas, high-end conference facilities, wet lab space and joint exhibition/presentation areas including conference space for up to 200 people.

For further information about Cardiff Innovations, email sbarcinnovations@cardiff.ac.uk