Unlearn Secures $50m in Series C Funding for Clinical Research with Digital Twin Technology
AI company Unlearn has raised $50m in a Series C funding round led by Altimeter Capital. The funding will support Unlearn’s mission to use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize clinical research through digital twin technology. Return investors Wittington Ventures, Radical Ventures, Mubadala Capital, Epic Ventures, and Necessary Venture Capital also participated in the funding round, along with new investors Insight Partners, 8VC, DCVC, and DCVC Bio.
AI to Reduce Trial and Error in Medicine
Unlearn will use the investment to advance its mission of reducing trial and error in medicine through the use of AI. The company plans to invest in its workforce, data, engineering expertise, and research and development approaches. Since its inception in 2017, Unlearn has raised over $130m to develop AI solutions that create digital twins for trial participants. This technology has led to smaller and quicker clinical trials.
Tackling Challenges in Clinical Research
Unlearn’s AI models create a digital twin for each trial participant, allowing for highly powered trials with smaller control groups. The digital twins predict health outcomes under a placebo, regardless of the therapy assignment. This approach, known as TwinRCTs, enables more patients to receive experimental treatments and reduces the time required to bring new drugs and therapies to market. Unlearn’s technology addresses challenges in clinical research, such as extended timelines, sluggish enrollment, and patient reluctance due to the possibility of receiving a placebo.
Regulatory Qualification and Recognition
Unlearn has been collaborating with regulatory experts and has achieved qualification from the European Medicines Agency for use in Phase II and III clinical trials with continuous outcomes. The US Food and Drug Administration has also recognized Unlearn’s methodology as aligning with current guidance.
The Value of Digital Twin Technology
Unlearn founder and CEO Charles Fisher highlighted the skepticism in the pharmaceutical industry regarding new technology that can transform research. The funding round will allow Unlearn to grow its team and expand its capabilities into more therapeutic areas in order to build awareness and prove the value of digital twin technology.
Previous Financing Rounds and Investors
In April 2022, Unlearn raised $50m in a Series B financing round led by Insight Partners. The company has secured a total of over $130m in funding since its founding in 2017. Notable investors include Wittington Ventures, Radical Ventures, Mubadala Capital, Epic Ventures, Necessary Venture Capital, and Altimeter Capital.
Analyst comment
Positive news: Unlearn has secured $50m in Series C funding for their clinical research with digital twin technology. This investment will support their mission to optimize clinical research and reduce trial and error in medicine through the use of AI. The funding will allow Unlearn to expand their capabilities, grow their team, and prove the value of digital twin technology. This is expected to have a positive impact on the market, as it will lead to smaller and quicker clinical trials and enable more patients to receive experimental treatments. The regulatory qualification and recognition from the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration further validate the effectiveness of Unlearn’s methodology.
