Biomap, co-founded by Baidu’s Robin Li Yanhong and backed by the Hong Kong government, surpasses AlphaFold in commercializing AI foundation models for drug discovery. Multinational pharmaceutical companies note a “reverse” in the technological gap between the two. AlphaFold leads in academic influence, while Biomap leads in commercialization.

Biomap’s xTrimo models showed greater accuracy than AlphaFold 3 in determining interactions between antibodies. Established in 2020, Biomap secured funding from Hong Kong Investment Corporation to enhance the city’s biotech ecosystem. Biomap aims to expand its projects and companies through an accelerator program.

Biomap co-founded a new company, BioGend Science, with Legend Capital to bring new drugs to market. BioGend plans to develop drug pipelines using Biomap’s AI platform and Hong Kong’s resources. The venture aims to have its first drug in clinical trials within 12 to 24 months.

Biomap, experiencing rapid growth, expects revenue to double this year. Despite geopolitical risks, the company serves nearly 1,000 clients, including multinational pharmaceutical firms. Biomap remains committed to advancing life sciences through open collaboration amid global challenges.

To support its expansion, Biomap diversified its computing infrastructure to include AI chips from Chinese companies. The company is advancing its IPO efforts as planned, prioritizing Hong Kong as its listing destination. Biomap remains focused on innovation and collaboration in the biotech industry.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Baidu-backed drug discovery start-up Biomap challenges Google’s AlphaFold