orabiomedical.com
Ora Biomedical, Inc. is a Seattle-based pharmaceutical startup in the longevity biotech sector, launched from the University of Washington in 2022. The company uses its proprietary WormBot-AI platform, which combines robotics, computer vision, and deep learning, to perform massively high-throughput drug screening in live animals, enabling discovery of novel longevity therapeutics and interventions for age-related diseases. Ora Biomedical aims to build the world's largest and highest quality longevity therapeutics database by conducting over 300,000 experiments annually. Their business model includes internally led drug development, partnerships for licensing IP-protected interventions, and direct-to-market healthy aging supplements for humans and companion pets. The company also offers contracted research services for phenotypic characterization of compounds in aging contexts. Key differentiation lies in their AI-driven, fully automated live animal screening platform that accelerates translational breakthroughs in longevity medicine.
orabiomedical.com
Ora Biomedical, Inc. is a Seattle-based pharmaceutical startup in the longevity biotech sector, launched from the University of Washington in 2022. The company uses its proprietary WormBot-AI platform, which combines robotics, computer vision, and deep learning, to perform massively high-throughput drug screening in live animals, enabling discovery of novel longevity therapeutics and interventions for age-related diseases. Ora Biomedical aims to build the world's largest and highest quality longevity therapeutics database by conducting over 300,000 experiments annually. Their business model includes internally led drug development, partnerships for licensing IP-protected interventions, and direct-to-market healthy aging supplements for humans and companion pets. The company also offers contracted research services for phenotypic characterization of compounds in aging contexts. Key differentiation lies in their AI-driven, fully automated live animal screening platform that accelerates translational breakthroughs in longevity medicine.
TL;DR
Founded: 2022 (launched out of the University of Washington School of Medicine)
Core platform: WormBot-AI — robotics + computer vision + deep learning for high-throughput live-animal screening
Business model: Internal drug development, licensing partnerships, direct-to-market healthy-aging supplements, and contracted research
Funding signal: Pre-seed led by Optispan Ventures; latest disclosed round: Seed (2024-01-25); total funding reported as USD 965,000
NIH SBIR Phase I grant ($324,240) and AFWERX SBIR Phase I contract ($75,000)