News

April 16, 2020

Novo Holdings leads USD 11.4m Series A funding in Kebotix

Kebotix Inc., a technology platform company for new AI-discovered chemicals and materials, today announced it has raised $11.4 million in Series A funding led by Novo Holdings, a leading international life science investor. Due to significant investor interest, Kebotix is keeping the round open another 30 days for additional participation.

Amid growing demand for Kebotix’s materials discovery platform capabilities, the new investment will power growth in scaling operations and accelerating R&D efforts to generate discoveries of urgent global importance. Among other macro efforts, Kebotix is dedicated to improving public health, championing sustainability and eliminating the production of hazardous substances through Green Chemistry solutions.

“In a short period, Kebotix has managed to successfully develop a world-class engine for materials discovery, secured substantial partnerships and collaborations, and demonstrated a scalable business model,” said Novo Holdings Principal Kartik Dharmadhikari. “Finding the cure for deadly diseases or the next game-changer for zero emissions comes down to discovering the right combination of molecules, and Kebotix stands out to us as leading the charge.”

For Kebotix’s CEO, an added level of pride is derived from the timing of Novo Holdings’ investment.

“Successfully raising $11.4 million as the global economy deals with the coronavirus pandemic is a testament to Kebotix’s early accomplishments and promising future,” said Dr. Jill S. Becker, CEO of Kebotix. “ Novo Holdings is a highly regarded-long term investor with significant experience in growing innovative companies. Their expertise and extensive international network will be of great value to us, and we are delighted about their strong commitment to Kebotix.” Dr. Becker added, “at Kebotix we are deeply committed to filling the void in a market hungry for a platform that increases innovation rates at reduced costs by using our 21st century methods.”

Since launching in late 2018 with a seed investment from prominent investors worldwide – One Way Ventures, Flybridge Ventures, Baidu Ventures, Embark Ventures and Propagator Ventures included – Kebotix has engaged with major players in the private and public sectors demanding breakthroughs in faster, cost-effective discovery of chemicals and materials.

Collaborating with Kebotix to deliver new treatments and cures for diseases faster, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, was able to dramatically reduce experimental time from 49 hours to 9 hours, providing 40 more hours to save lives. For Koura (formerly Mexichem Fluor), in one of several partnerships with leading multinational industrial companies, Kebotix discovered environmentally friendly high-performance materials in remarkably less time and cost – 3 months instead of the average 3-plus years, and at a reduction of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

About Kebotix

Kebotix (www.kebotix.com) partners with the private and public sector in harnessing the power of its breakthrough platform that combines artificial intelligence and robotic automation to discover chemicals and materials significantly faster and more affordably. Kebotix is backed by a growing, talented and dedicated team led by world-class scientists and serial entrepreneurs – plus the world’s first self-driving lab for materials discovery – to develop AI/machine learning roadmaps and define problems and solution properties for its partners, and solve the world’s most urgent problems for everyone else. Kebotix provides its partners technology access to its digital R&D solutions and complete end-to-end materials innovation programs to stay ahead of competition in the digital revolution.

About Novo Holdings

Novo Holdings, a Danish private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, is recognized as a leading international life science investor with a focus on creating long-term value. As a life science investor, Novo Holdings provides seed and venture capital to development-stage companies and takes significant ownership positions in growth and well-established companies. Novo Holdings also manages a broad portfolio of diversified financial assets. For more information, visit www.novoholdings.dk.