London-based deep tech firm Apoha has successfully raised $36 million to advance its groundbreaking data layer for physical world artificial intelligence. This new funding will help the company establish "liquid state intelligence" as a foundational data class for understanding molecular behavior. The investment underscores the growing need for AI systems that can perceive and interact with the physical world.
A New Frontier in AI Perception
Current artificial intelligence excels at processing language and code but lacks the ability to perceive how matter behaves in real-world conditions. This gap hinders progress in areas like drug development and materials science, where understanding physical interactions is crucial. Apoha aims to solve this by creating a missing data layer that digitizes the behavior of molecules.
The company has termed this new data category "liquid state intelligence," placing it alongside genomics and structural biology. Unlike data that can be synthesized or found online, this information about how matter responds to stress must be empirically measured. This approach provides a new language for describing what molecules and materials actually do under various conditions.
Pioneering Measurement Technology
Apoha's core product, VIBE, provides an empirical readout of how a sample behaves when subjected to controlled stress. The platform analyzes a minuscule amount of material suspended in liquid, applying perturbations and recording the resulting wave patterns. A single reading generates over 1,000 descriptors of behavior, offering a comprehensive profile in minutes.
This technology is the culmination of over 15 years of research in interfacial physics by CEO and co-founder Shamit Shrivastava. He co-founded the company in 2021 with COO Anshika Srivastava, and Apoha now holds over 60 patents across its hardware and software. The firm's scientific foundation is rooted in discoveries that have been recognized for their transformative potential.
Significant Funding and Market Validation
The $36 million funding round was led by Singular, with notable participation from Draper Associates and continued support from seed investors. Apoha also received grant funding from Innovate UK, highlighting its technological promise and strategic importance. The investment was announced at the Frontier Technologies Stage during SXSW London, signaling its relevance to the tech community.
Apoha has already demonstrated significant commercial traction and validation for its platform. A multi-year partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim showed the technology could identify high-risk antibody candidates with over 90% precision. The company is also working with clients like Ethris and THIS, spanning biotech and plant-based food industries.
Shaping the Future of Physical AI
The development of liquid state intelligence has profound implications for numerous sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food science, and advanced materials. By enabling more powerful reasoning and prediction, Apoha's data layer facilitates autonomous scientific discovery and innovation. This could dramatically accelerate research and development cycles while reducing costly failures in later stages.
As AI systems increasingly act on the physical world, the need for this behavioral data becomes paramount. CEO Shamit Shrivastava emphasizes that this data class cannot be retrofitted from existing assays and must be directly measured. Apoha is positioned as the company building this essential foundation for the next generation of intelligent systems.
With its substantial new funding and proven technology, Apoha is poised to redefine how machines understand and interact with matter. The establishment of liquid state intelligence as a fundamental data class promises to unlock new efficiencies and discoveries across critical industries. This advancement marks a significant step toward creating more sophisticated AI systems capable of navigating the complexities of the physical world.