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Cradle Raises $24M in Series A Funding to Advance Generative AI in Protein Engineering

The Dutch biotech startup Cradle has raised $24 million in Series A funding, totaling $33 million, to further the use of generative AI in protein engineering. The company offers user-friendly web-based tools, eliminating traditional data obstacles for scientists and expediting R&D workflows. Cradle's generative AI models, trained on billions of protein sequences, have attracted nine industry partners, including Twist Bioscience, Novozymes, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

Currently engaged in over 12 R&D projects, Cradle covers a range of protein modalities, demonstrating accelerated creation and optimization of proteins with higher success rates. Projects on Cradle's platform progress twice as fast as industry standards, thanks to its groundbreaking generative AI skills that solve complex protein engineering challenges. The funding, led by Index Ventures and Kindred Capital, will be used to expand operations, strengthen teams, and invest in product development and sales.

Cradle's CEO, Stef van Grieken, emphasizes the transformative impact of AI in biology, enhancing health outcomes and mitigating ecological consequences. Partners at Index Ventures highlight the revolutionary role of Cradle's technology in addressing global challenges, speeding up innovation in biotechnology, and reshaping the production of consumer goods.

AI's use in biology is showcased through Cradle's technology, which has proven to significantly accelerate invention and reshape the programming of biology. With a growing demand for its platform, Cradle continues to enhance functionality, witnessing researchers create novel proteins and contribute to the rapidly evolving field of programming biology.