TLDR: Hong Kong-based artificial intelligence start-up, IntelliGen AI, is setting its sights on competing with Google’s DeepMind in the revolutionary field of AI-powered drug discovery. The company has launched its own foundational model, IntFold, for predicting biomolecular structures, with accuracy levels comparable to DeepMind’s AlphaFold 3. IntelliGen AI is currently raising tens of millions of US dollars in an angel funding round and aims to secure major pharmaceutical clients within the next 12 to 18 months.
A new contender has emerged from Hong Kong to challenge the dominance of global tech giants in the burgeoning field of AI-assisted drug discovery. IntelliGen AI, a start-up founded in the city, is positioning itself as a direct competitor to Google’s DeepMind and its spin-off, Isomorphic Labs. The company’s founder and president, Ronald Sun, expressed his confidence in a recent interview, stating, “Within 12 to 18 months, we aim to land major, high-value clients on a par with Isomorphic.”
At the core of IntelliGen AI’s ambitious plan is its newly launched IntFold foundational model. This powerful tool is designed to predict the three-dimensional structures of biomolecules, including proteins, a critical step in modern drug design and development. The company claims that IntFold’s accuracy is comparable to that of AlphaFold 3, the latest iteration of DeepMind’s groundbreaking protein-folding model. This technological advancement is part of a broader movement in what Sun refers to as “generative science,” which uses AI to model the natural world and accelerate scientific breakthroughs. “For generative science, new breakthroughs and application opportunities are global in nature,” Sun remarked.
To fuel its growth and development, IntelliGen AI is in the process of raising tens of millions of US dollars in an angel funding round. Despite having team members in Shanghai, the company strategically chose Hong Kong as its headquarters. Sun cited the city’s robust capital market and strong government support for innovation and technology as key factors in this decision. While acknowledging the vast opportunities in mainland China, a major market for drug consumption and research, IntelliGen AI is keen to pursue global collaborations. “Can one single company serve all of the few dozen major global pharmaceutical corporations? We don’t think so,” Sun stated, highlighting the immense potential for multiple players in this innovative space.
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Google’s DeepMind, acquired by the tech giant in 2014, has been a pioneer in this field. Its AlphaFold model, first launched in 2018, and its subsequent versions have been lauded for significantly advancing the accuracy of protein-structure prediction. In 2021, DeepMind spun off Isomorphic Labs to focus specifically on drug discovery. Earlier this year, Isomorphic Labs announced significant partnerships with pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novartis. The company also recently announced that it is “getting very close” to starting human clinical trials for its AI-designed drugs, underscoring the rapid progress in the field.
