Isospec Analytics raises $1.9m for its technology to identify molecules at scale

When developing new drugs, nutritional products, or pesticides, it is critical that unknown molecules are identified correctly. But accurate identification is a lengthy process and all too often unsuccessful, leading to failed regulatory processes, or worse, consumer health being put in danger. Based on over 20 years of research, Isospec Analytics founders Ahmed Ben Faleh, Stephan Warnke, and Thomas Rizzo combined technologies from multiple disciplines – analytical chemistry, photonics, and cryogenic materials initially designed for space applications – to build a tool that can generate a new data dimension about molecular structures in minutes.  

The company’s technology generates unique, information-rich metrics that allow for the rapid identification of unknown molecules in minutes instead of months, bringing unprecedented scalability to molecular identification. The technology is already being used in the analysis of sugars and metabolites within the food and agritech industry to carry out quality control and support product R&D. However, the team believes the real potential of their technology is in the discovery of new biomarkers for therapeutics development and diagnostics. 

“In a human blood sample, there are 15,000 small biological molecules that can give precise information about a person’s health at any given time. However, less than 5% of these molecules can be identified. The ability to rapidly identify new molecules means we can now leverage the 95% unknown molecular space to develop treatments to the deadliest diseases,” said co-founder and CEO Dr. Ahmed Ben Faleh. 

These combined use cases were compelling for Isospec’s investors. “Isospec’s value proposition, which offers early access to its cutting-edge research in biomolecular analysis as a service, convinced us of the potential of the technology and the team,” explains Alex Stöckl, partner at Founderful and board member of Isospec. “Isospec is one of the first 8 companies in which we have invested with our second fund, which aims to reach $120M.” 

Following the launch of its platform, Isospec Analytics has raised $1.9M in its pre-seed funding round led by Founderful (formerly Wingman Ventures), with additional participation from specialized investors Tiny.vc, another.vc and Venture Kick. The funds will support the company through the commercial phase.  

The team is currently working on the scalability of their platform, introducing automation at every step and implementing machine learning tools for data analysis and insight generation. 

“This round allows us to build a software team composed of experts in data engineering,” said Dr Ahmed Ben Faleh. Against the highly competitive backdrop of the sugar and metabolite analytical markets, Isospec is setting its sights on becoming the leading provider of molecular analysis solutions and biomarker discovery technology.    

(Press release / SR)