Shift Bioscience raises US$16 million seed funding

We have advised Cambridge-based biotech company, Shift Bioscience, on its US$16 million seed funding to advance its cell simulation artificial intelligence platform. 

The US$16 million seed funding was led by BGF with existing investors F-Prime Capital, Kindred Capital, and Jonathan Milner participating. The investment will be used for the continued development of Shift Bioscience’s artificial intelligence (AI) cell simulation platform, for the identification of genes that can safely rejuvenate cells to combat the effects of age-related illnesses.

Shift Bioscience has pioneered the first high throughput and high accuracy aging biomarker, which has been leveraged inside AI-based cell simulations to identify safer rejuvenation gene-factors. The firm's next mission is to turn its discoveries into medicines that can treat multiple diseases of aging. 

Corporate partner Ross McNaughton commented: "Notwithstanding all the focus on important areas like obesity at the moment, aging remains the primary risk factor for many of the primary diseases that affect people, including in areas of neurodegeneration, cancer and heart disease. It has been a pleasure to support Shift as they look to continue their important work in this area and we look forward to working with them as they progress from here."

Daniel Ives, CEO of Shift biosciences, said: "We are pleased to be able to announce this new funding, which brings our total funding to US$18 million. We are building a cell simulation platform that combines generative AI with a highly accurate, high-throughput biological aging clock to predict, test, and validate genes that can safely rejuvenate specific cells. It has been a pleasure to work with the Taylor Wessing life sciences team once again, who were pivotal to navigating the round to its successful conclusion."   

Our team consisted of partner Ross McNaughton, senior associate Oli Denne, and associate Nadege Serna in the corporate team.