Ex-OpenAI Researcher Launches $2B AI-Powered Drug Discovery Startup

Former OpenAI researcher Miles Wang is leaving the company to launch a startup focused on developing artificial intelligence for accelerating drug discovery. According to sources, the project could be valued at $2 billion, with Lightspeed Ventures in talks to lead a $200 million funding round. Wang has neither confirmed nor denied the specific figures or the company's formation.

The startup plans to focus on AI models capable of identifying new applications for already approved drugs, as well as analyzing compounds that failed clinical trials. This approach significantly reduces time-to-market for pharmaceutical products, as the safety of such drugs is already established.

Investor interest in AI applications in biomedicine is surging. For example, Chai Discovery, a startup with a similar focus, recently raised $400 million at a $3.8 billion valuation. Another project, Isomorphic Labs, spun out from Google DeepMind, closed a $2.1 billion funding round in May. Both startups leverage AI technologies to optimize pharmaceutical research.

Miles Wang joined OpenAI in 2024 after dropping out of Harvard, where he studied computer science. At OpenAI, he contributed to research on automating scientific discoveries using AI. His new venture could mark another milestone in integrating cutting-edge technologies into medicine.