Developing antibody drugs begins with finding an antibody that can attach to a specific spot, known as an epitope, on a protein linked to a disease. Finding an antibody that fits that spot can be difficult.

Bengaluru-based immunitoAI is using artificial intelligence to tackle this problem. Its platform, AbInitio, designs antibodies for a chosen target and epitope, which the startup then tests in its own lab.

Founded in 2020 by Dr Aridni Shah and Trisha Chatterjee, the startup began when the two met in August that year through Entrepreneur First, a talent accelerator where individuals look for potential co-founders.

Shah, the CEO, holds a PhD in biological sciences from NCBS-TIFR and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from the University of Delhi. Chatterjee, the CTO, has a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Delhi and previously worked as a senior software development engineer in R&D at GreyOrange.

The idea grew out of Shah’s PhD research on honeybees. Since honeybees are not a model organism, obtaining antibodies against their proteins was difficult. Early discussions with industry experts revealed that drugmakers faced a similar challenge in finding suitable starting antibodies, Chatterjee says.

Chatterjee spent about three months developing the idea and up to three weeks building the first prototype. That version ranked potential antibodies, a simpler task than the antibody design work AbInitio handles today.

ImmunitoAI’s biology team first selects a disease area, a target protein, and the epitope the antibody needs to bind to. It also determines whether the antibody should block or activate the target.

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