Anthropic and Nvidia back Basecamp Research in $140M Series C

UK-based AI-driven life sciences startup Basecamp Research has secured $140 million in Series C funding from a host of major investors, including AI giants Nvidia and Anthropic. Founded in 2019, Basecamp uses AI and biodiversity data to develop treatments for diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. Led by S32, a venture firm founded by Alphabet's Bill Maris, the round also saw participation from Anthropic's Anthology Fund, a partnership between Anthropic and VC Menlo Ventures.

Other investors include Catalio, NATO Innovation Fund, Rockefeller, European Tech Collective, and the UK government's Sovereign AI Fund.

Basecamp's AI models, known as Eden models, are trained on the world's largest proprietary genomic dataset, collected through partnerships across more than 30 countries. The startup's goal is to create more sophisticated, customizable, and affordable cell therapies by using its AI models to design long and complex DNA sequences and deliver them with specialized enzymes.

This would improve upon current cell therapies, which are limited in complexity and costly to manufacture. Basecamp's research has shown promising preclinical results across various diseases, and the company aims to advance its AI-designed therapeutics towards clinical development.

The funding will be used to train new AI models and expand the company's pipeline of AI-designed therapeutics. Basecamp's co-founders, doctors Glen Gowers and Oliver Vince, met as undergraduates at Oxford and have a history of pushing boundaries, including setting up the first off-grid DNA sequencing operation during an expedition to Iceland's Vatnajökull ice cap.

Gowers believes that the future of medicine lies in reprogramming the body to repair itself and that their AI-based approach could transform treatment options for patients with limited alternatives. The head of ventures at Sovereign AI, Joséphine Kant, praised Gowers and Vince for their unapologetic pride in building the company in the UK and their belief that the impossible is merely a matter of time.