# Latent Labs

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/latent-labs
Latent Labs builds AI models that design new proteins, binders and antibodies from scratch for drug makers. Founded by Simon Kohl, a member of DeepMind's AlphaFold 2 team.

## In brief

- AlphaFold predicts the shape of existing proteins; Latent Labs designs new ones that bind a chosen target.
- Latent-Y (March 2026) is an agent that runs an antibody design campaign from a written goal to lab-ready designs.
- Launched with $50M (Radical Ventures, Sofinnova); models run in London, wet lab in San Francisco.

## Facts

- Founded: 2023
- Headquarters: GB, US
- Status: private
- Raised: $50M
- Website: https://www.latentlabs.com
- Frontiers: [AI](https://technooptimist.io/ai.md) (Biology models), [Biotech](https://technooptimist.io/biotech.md)

## Programs

- [Latent-X2 & Latent-Y](https://technooptimist.io/ai/latent-x.md) (AI): Pilot; next: Partner antibodies reach clinical trials. Latent-Y agent live with selected partners since March 2026; designs not yet in clinical trials.

## Technical approach

- **All-atom: Design every atom**: Its models generate a protein's sequence and full 3D structure together, down to individual atoms, for a target never seen before.
- **Zero-shot: Fewer rounds of optimisation**: The aim is drug-like antibodies on the first try, skipping months of lab tweaking that usually follow a first hit.
- **Platform: Models, not a drug pipeline**: It sells access and partnerships to drug makers instead of developing its own medicines.

## Open problems

- **Independent validation** (open): Hit rates and safety data come from Latent Labs' own reports; peer review and partner results are still to come.

## Latest updates

- **23 Mar 2026**: Latent Labs launches Latent-Y, an agent that runs antibody design campaigns. Latent-Y takes a written goal, plan or paper, picks binding sites on the target, designs antibodies with Latent-X2, checks them computationally and iterates, logging its reasoning. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/latent-labs-launches-latent-y-an-agent-that-runs-antibody-design-2349289e.md) · [original source](https://www.venturebeat.com/business/latent-y-the-autonomous-ai-agent-for-drug-design-at-scale))
- **16 Dec 2025**: Latent Labs unveils Latent-X2, generating drug-like antibodies without optimisation rounds. Latent-X2 designs antibodies and peptides meant to be drug-ready on the first pass. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/latent-labs-unveils-latent-x2-generating-drug-like-antibodies-without-483034f8.md) · [original source](https://www.biopharmatrend.com/artificial-intelligence/latent-labs-unveils-ai-model-generating-antibodies-with-low-immunogenicity-and-drug-like-properties-1434/))
- **22 Jul 2025**: Latent Labs launches Latent-X, designing protein binders in the browser. Latent-X generates macrocycles and small protein binders atom by atom for targets it has never seen, through a no-code web platform with a free tier. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/latent-labs-launches-latent-x-designing-protein-binders-in-the-browser-1073485c.md) · [original source](https://sofinnovapartners.com/news/introducing-latent-x-a-frontier-generative-ai-model-for-protein-binder-design-accessible-via-no-code-platform-for-push-button-protein-design))
- **12 Feb 2025**: Latent Labs, founded by AlphaFold 2 alumnus Simon Kohl, launches with $50M. Latent Labs came out of stealth with $50 million, a $10M seed plus a $40M Series A co-led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/latent-labs-founded-by-alphafold-2-alumnus-simon-kohl-launches-with-50m-e0a97c5b.md) · [original source](https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/12/founded-by-deepmind-alumnus-latent-labs-launches-with-50m-to-make-biology-programmable))

## Funding

| Date | Round | Amount | Post-money | Leads |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 12 Feb 2025 | Seed + Series A | $50M |   | Radical Ventures, Sofinnova Partners |

## Partners, customers and investors

- Radical Ventures (investor): Co-led the $40M Series A.
- Sofinnova Partners (investor): Co-led the $40M Series A.
- GenScript (partner): Wet-lab partner for Latent-X2: expression, purification and testing (Jan 2026).

## People

- Simon Kohl, Founder & CEO

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