AstraZeneca, BioNTech and CIC back Sortera Bio's £7.5m pre-seed round
Sortera Bio is focused on accelerating the discovery of biologics via its proprietary Deep Screening platform and is dedicated to delivering transformative solutions in biologics discovery to meet the needs of patients worldwide.
Sortera has strategically utilised this funding to establish its Deep Screening platform, which experimentally collects sequence and functional data on hundreds of millions of biologics. This capability enables the rapid identification of therapeutic candidates and the generation of machine learning datasets to fuel generative AI models.
The company is targeting the needs of patients worldwide. The innovative technology powering Sortera was originally developed and validated at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), with support from AstraZeneca through the LMB-AstraZeneca Blue Sky Collaboration.
Sortera Bio was co-founded by Dr. Ben Porebski and Dr. Philipp Holliger, both leading experts in protein engineering and synthetic biology. Previously an Investigator Scientist at MRC LMB, Dr. Porebski serves as the company’s CEO and CTO. Dr. Holliger, a Programme Leader at MRC LMB, provides strategic oversight and expertise to the venture, serving on its Board of Directors.
Dr. Porebski said: “The past year has been transformative for Sortera Bio. Our pre-seed financing has established the business and catalysed development on the next generation of our Deep Screening technology, bringing us closer to our goal of delivering precision biologics that may improve patient outcomes. We are excited to be supported by our investors as we move forward with technology development and strategic partnerships.”
Robert Tansley, Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital, said:“Sortera’s novel Deep Screening platform represents scientific research that has the potential to provide real benefit to the drug discovery process across a wide range of modalities. The founding of Sortera advances the translation of these benefits to a broad range of programmes dedicated to the development of novel medicines in areas of unmet medical need.”
Jan Löwe, Director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, added: “We are proud to have supported the foundational work behind Sortera’s technology. Their progress is a testament to the success of our Blue Sky Collaboration with AstraZeneca and the vibrant innovation ecosystem we foster.”
As Sortera Bio continues its mission to advance biological drug discovery, the company welcomes collaboration and partnerships with researchers, pharmaceutical companies and industry leaders who are committed to pushing the boundaries of therapeutic innovation.