ChemLex, a pioneering AI-for-science company, has announced the establishment of its global headquarters and a new self-driving laboratory in Singapore. This strategic move is supported by a recently closed $45 million funding round led by Granite Asia. The company aims to revolutionize chemical discovery for the pharmaceutical industry through its advanced automation and artificial intelligence platform.
Pioneering Automated Chemical Discovery
At the core of its operations, ChemLex integrates proprietary AI algorithms with high-throughput robotic systems for autonomous synthesis. This 24/7 autonomous chemistry platform is capable of designing, running, and analyzing experiments around the clock with minimal human intervention, transforming chemical discovery from a fragmented, stop-start process into a continuous, data-driven workflow.
By leveraging this technology, the company significantly shortens the discovery-to-delivery cycle for its pharmaceutical and biotech customers. The automated system not only accelerates research but also improves sustainability by reducing energy consumption and waste, making drug development faster, more cost-efficient, and less resource-intensive than traditional laboratory methods.
Strategic Funding to Fuel Expansion
The new $45 million investment, described as a Series A plus round, follows an earlier $26 million Series A financing. Granite Asia led the latest round, while earlier funding was backed by investors such as Qiming Venture Partners, LYFE Capital, and Sinovation Ventures, which supported ChemLex’s early global expansion and platform development.
This fresh capital injection is earmarked to accelerate the development and deployment of ChemLex’s fully automated chemical synthesis system. The company plans to expand its Singapore-based team by hiring additional hardware and software engineers as well as chemists, strengthening its ability to serve a growing pipeline of pharmaceutical and materials science projects worldwide.
Singapore as a Global Innovation Hub
The decision to establish its headquarters in Singapore underscores the country’s appeal as a premier hub for deep-tech and life sciences innovation. Founder and CEO Sean Lin has highlighted Singapore’s strong ecosystem, talent base, and connectivity as critical to scaling ChemLex’s autonomous chemistry platform and supporting global partners who require faster, more reliable discovery capabilities.
Singapore’s Economic Development Board has positioned the move as aligned with national efforts to build a resilient, innovation-driven life sciences ecosystem. Leadership has emphasized that companies like ChemLex can help reshape supply chains, shorten development timelines, and generate new economic value through advanced R&D.
Forging Key Local Partnerships
Further cementing its local presence, ChemLex has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Experimental Drug Development Centre, Singapore’s national platform for drug discovery and development under A*STAR. The partnership aims to accelerate next-generation small molecule drug discovery by combining advanced automation with deep drug development expertise.
Professor Damian O’Connell of the Experimental Drug Development Centre expressed strong support for the collaboration, highlighting ChemLex’s rapid evolution into a global innovator in AI-powered chemical synthesis. By pairing the center’s scientific expertise with ChemLex’s self-driving lab capabilities, the partnership seeks to shorten R&D timelines, reduce costs, and enable innovative treatments that benefit patients locally and globally.
ChemLex’s establishment in Singapore, backed by significant new funding and strategic partnerships, marks a pivotal moment for both the company and the broader pharmaceutical industry. By harnessing AI and automation at scale, the company is positioning itself to redefine the speed, efficiency, and sustainability of scientific discovery in chemistry and drug development.