Former OpenAI science lead founds Warp Sciences, raising $215 million to build robotic drug lab
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Former OpenAI science lead Wei Er and three co-founders founded Warp Sciences, raising $215 million and planning to establish a chemistry contract research organization in the United States to provide molecule synthesis and testing services for drug discovery teams. In its first phase, the company will focus on synthesizing analogs for lead compound optimization; clients decide which molecules to study and retain control of their drug programs, and Warp will not develop its own drug pipeline. To train the robots, chemistry researchers will wear camera equipment and sensor gloves to demonstrate and record experimental operations, and the data from each round of experiments will then be used to improve the AI models and subsequent experimental protocols.
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This funding news lays out the specific division of labor and data feedback loop for the robotic lab, offering a window into how AI and automation are moving into the outsourced drug discovery segment.
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Warp Sciences计划在美国建立化学合同研究机构，为药物研发团队提供分子合成和测试服务。公司首阶段聚焦“先导化合物优化类似物合成”，也就是围绕有潜力的分子制造不同变体，再通过实验比较其性质，帮助研究人员筛选更适合继续开发的候选药物。公司表示，客户决定研究哪些分子，并保留对药物项目的控制权；Warp不打算开发自有药物管线。
为训练机器人完成实验室工作，化学研究人员将佩戴摄像设备和传感手套，示范并记录实验操作。公司希望逐步用机器人执行这些任务，让实验室能够持续运行；每轮实验产生的数据再用于改进AI模型和后续实验方案，形成“设计、执行、分析、再设计”的循环。自动化程度和实际效率仍有待公司后续建设和验证。
这家初创公司的业务也瞄准美国生物科技产业对海外研发服务的依赖。药物研发中，批量合成数千种分子变体属于耗时且劳动密集的环节，相关工作长期由中国等地的合同研究机构承接。Warp希望在美国提供替代服务，减少供应链地缘政治风险，并回应药企对知识产权保护的顾虑。
Warp Sciences由韦尔与三名联合创始人共同创立：曾任Terremoto Biosciences药物化学负责人索尔·赖斯伯格、Meta人工智能研究实验室FAIR联合创始人兼前高管马诺哈尔·帕卢里，以及曾任美国首席数据科学家的DJ·帕蒂尔。公司称，团队将结合AI、机器人和药物化学经验，建设本土实验室基础设施，让实体实验数据反过来推动AI辅助药物研发。