Inside the Seattle labs of Xaira, the AI-powered startup launched with $1B from investors
Xaira Therapeutics – a spinout from the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) – merges AI with science to create generative models for developing new therapeutics, revolutionizing traditional approaches to treating diseases.
Founded by IPD alumni, Xaira is rapidly making strides in the biotech space, as evidenced by their launch in April with over $1 billion in committed funding. Unlike traditional methods that rely on natural templates, Xaira utilizes AI models to design proteins that surpass nature’s designs, including novel antibodies that can bind to human receptors.
“There’s very few places that marry tech and biotech in the way that Seattle is set up to do,” said Hetu Kamisetty, head of Xaira’s Seattle location. “For protein design, this is the place to be.”