TLDR: BenchSci, a leader in AI software for biopharma R&D, has announced a multi-year partnership with Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. This collaboration, revealed on November 12, 2025, aims to significantly advance the application of artificial intelligence in biological inference to accelerate drug discovery. The initiative will combine BenchSci’s biological data expertise with Mila’s cutting-edge AI research to develop models for automating scientific hypothesis generation and experimental assay prediction, moving closer to autonomous drug discovery.
Toronto-based BenchSci, a prominent provider of AI software for biopharmaceutical research and development, has officially entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, a globally recognized hub for AI research. The announcement, made on November 12, 2025, signifies a concerted effort to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence in the realm of biological inference, with the ultimate goal of accelerating drug discovery processes.
The collaboration is designed to merge BenchSci’s extensive expertise in biological data with Mila’s world-class research capabilities in artificial intelligence. This synergy is expected to foster advancements in predictive and generative modeling within drug discovery. A key objective of this joint venture is the development of sophisticated AI models capable of automating the creation of novel scientific hypotheses and predicting experimental assay outcomes. This represents a significant stride towards achieving autonomous drug discovery.
Stéphane Létourneau, Executive Vice President at Mila, emphasized the strategic importance of this partnership, stating, “This partnership exemplifies a core component of Mila’s mission, that is to push the boundaries of what artificial intelligence can achieve for science. By joining forces with BenchSci, we’re applying world-class AI research to one of the most complex and impactful challenges of our time—understanding biology at a level that can transform how life-saving medicines are discovered and developed.”
Liran Belenzon, CEO and Co-Founder of BenchSci, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the transformative potential. “Our partnership with Mila marks a major step toward realizing the vision of autonomous drug discovery. Together, we’re combining frontier AI research with deep biological understanding to build systems capable of biological inference—AI that can reason across complex data to generate and validate scientific hypotheses at scale,” Belenzon explained. He further added, “This is a fundamental shift for drug discovery, laying the groundwork for autonomous labs that accelerate innovation, uncover insights beyond human reach, and bring life-saving medicines to patients faster.”
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Under the terms of the partnership, BenchSci will gain access to Mila’s extensive network of leading experts, who will collaborate closely with BenchSci’s internal team of machine learning scientists. This research will directly contribute to the evolution of BenchSci’s ASCEND platform, specifically by advancing new inference models that leverage the company’s Biological Evidence Knowledge Graph (BEKG), which BenchSci describes as the world’s most advanced map of disease biology. This close integration is expected to facilitate continuous knowledge sharing and accelerate the incorporation of cutting-edge AI research into ASCEND’s core functionalities, ultimately enhancing the speed and quality of preclinical R&D.
