Biostate AI, a biotechnology company developing generative AI models to predict human disease and drug response from RNA sequencing data, has announced a $12 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Accel, with participation from Gaingels, Mana Ventures, InfoEdge Ventures, and returning investors Matter Venture Partners, Vision Plus Capital, and Catapult Ventures.
Founded by MIT and Rice University alumni David Zhang and Ashwin Gopinath, Biostate AI is building one of the world’s largest RNA sequencing datasets to train general-purpose AI for molecular medicine. The company’s total funding now exceeds $20 million.
Biostate’s early backers include high-profile angel investors such as Dario Amodei (CEO, Anthropic), Mike Schnall-Levin (CTO, 10x Genomics), and Emily Leproust (CEO, Twist Bioscience), underscoring its credibility in both AI and life sciences.
Biostate AI’s platform leverages RNAseq data from over 10,000 biological samples and more than 150 institutional collaborators to develop predictive models for disease onset and therapeutic response. The company has also secured agreements to process hundreds of thousands of additional samples annually, dramatically scaling its data assets.
By reducing the cost of RNA sequencing nearly tenfold using its proprietary BIRT and PERD technologies, Biostate enables broader access to transcriptomic data. The result is a standardized, scalable, and clinically relevant data pipeline that feeds its generative AI foundation model—similar to how OpenAI trained ChatGPT.
Traditional RNA sequencing is expensive, inconsistent across labs, and fragmented by vendor silos. Biostate solves these pain points through:
- Cost Efficiency: Patented RNAseq chemistry slashes processing costs, allowing more samples per dollar.
- Data Standardization: Uniform protocols eliminate batch effects across global research sites.
- Global Aggregation: Millions of de-identified samples fuel Biostate’s AI training.
- Vertical Integration: From sample to AI insight under one roof, Biostate removes the need for multiple vendors.
- Clinical Vision: Early Disease Prediction and Personalized Therapies
The company’s generative AI models are already demonstrating predictive power in leukemia recurrence. With ongoing pilots in autoimmune, cardiovascular, and oncology applications, Biostate aims to become a central infrastructure player in precision medicine.
“Just as ChatGPT learned language from massive datasets, Biostate is learning the molecular language of disease,” said Ashwin Gopinath, CTO and former MIT professor. “We’re building an AI that can read RNA like a doctor reads symptoms—only earlier.”
CEO David Zhang adds, “Every diagnostic I’ve developed moved the answer closer to the patient. With Biostate, we’re taking a leap toward affordable, real-time molecular diagnostics for every disease.”
Biostate AI’s platform is already in use by Cornell, the Accelerated Cure Project, and over 100 partner institutions. In just two quarters, the company has scaled RNAseq processing to thousands of samples and is rapidly expanding its AI dataset.
