With the potential for an additional €5M, this funding will accelerate Iktos’ integration of AI-driven molecular design, robotic synthesis, and biological testing—paving the way for faster, more efficient drug discovery.
Iktos, a global leader in AI-driven drug discovery, has secured a prestigious €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator to advance its AI and robotics synthesis automation technology. This funding, with the potential for an additional €5 million from the EIC, will propel Iktos' mission to revolutionize drug design by fully integrating AI-driven molecular generation, automated synthesis, and high-precision biological testing — paving the way for faster, more efficient drug discovery.
Over the next two years, the company will expand its drug discovery platform following the 2024 acquisition of Synsight and its proprietary technology, MTBench, which enables high-precision biological screening of challenging targets in biologically relevant environments.
The investment will boost Ikto's capabilities by integrating AI-driven molecular design, robotic synthesis, and biological testing. The platform is unique in that each stage of the DMTA (design-make-test-analyze) cycle is orchestrated by AI, dynamically integrating real experimental data into the generative AI at every iteration. By continuously refining predictions with real-world feedback, the cycle converges faster, drastically reducing the time needed to reach effective drug candidates. This recognition from the EIC Accelerator is a testament to Iktos' pioneering work in AI for drug discovery.
"We are honored to receive this support from the European Innovation Council," said Yann Gaston-Mathé, CEO, Iktos. "This funding allows us to further develop our AI and robotics platform to critically accelerate the discovery of new treatment options, bringing innovative therapies to patients faster and offering new hope for better health outcomes. It also underscores Europe's commitment to fostering groundbreaking AI innovations that align with ethical and strategic priorities."
Iktos' platform aligns with the EIC Accelerator Challenge, "Human-Centric Generative AI Made in Europe," advancing AI in drug discovery while prioritizing transparency, strategic autonomy, and ethical standards. Iktos enables researchers to focus on strategic decisions by enhancing human expertise while AI optimizes molecular designs and robotics execute real-world synthesis. The platform ensures AI-generated molecules are theoretically promising and synthetically viable, leveraging virtual synthesis and high-quality datasets validated by expert oversight. This approach strengthens the reliability of AI-driven outputs and supports more efficient drug development.