What Apheris does

Apheris, a Berlin-based private limited company (apheris AI GmbH) founded in 2019 by Robin Röhm and Michael Höh, operates a federated computing platform purpose-built for the life sciences sector. The company's core product, Apheris Gateway, enables pharmaceutical organizations to collaboratively train AI models on distributed proprietary datasets without centralizing sensitive data, addressing the structural problem that valuable drug-discovery data is locked inside individual company firewalls due to IP and regulatory constraints. The flagship enterprise application, ApherisFold, lets computational chemistry and structural biology teams run, benchmark, and fine-tune leading co-folding models — OpenFold3 (co-developed with the AlQuraishi Lab at Columbia University), Boltz-2, and Protenix-v1 — locally within their own IT environments, with API access for integration into existing discovery pipelines. The platform also includes a model registry and a Trust Center aggregating the company's SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and EU AI Act certifications.

Apheris monetizes through enterprise subscription licensing for the Apheris Gateway platform, recurring membership fees in its federated data networks, and ApherisFold application licensing. Go-to-market is anchored on multi-party consortium sales: the company operates the AI Structural Biology (AISB) Network, which as of mid-2025 includes nine major pharmaceutical companies (AbbVie, Astex, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, and Takeda) collaborating on protein structure prediction; the ADMET Network, with founding members Lundbeck, Orion Pharma, Recursion, and Servier, targeting the 40-45% of clinical attrition driven by ADMET liabilities; the Antibody Developability Consortium jointly hosted with Ginkgo Bioworks; and a Federated Real-World Evidence (RWE) Network covering 50,000+ patients across hospitals. Distribution is direct enterprise sales to pharmaceutical leadership, computational biology teams, IT, and legal functions, supported by conference presence (Bio-IT World, AWS Life Sciences Symposium, IEEE CBMS) and content marketing through technical blog posts, case studies, and scientific publications.

The company has raised approximately €29 million in total across a €8.7M seed extension led by Octopus Ventures (November 2022) and a ~€20.24M Series A led by OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL (January 2025), with participation from the European Investment Fund, Heal Capital, Local Globe, another.vc, and angel investors including Mulesoft founder Ross Mason, former Google CFO Patrick Pichette, Instana founder Mirko Novakovic, Helsing founder Torsten Reil, and Ian Hogarth. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band with named VP-level hires in engineering and product, suggesting an organization in the 30-50 FTE range post-Series A. Strategic technology partnerships with AWS (primary cloud, FRA-LoRA for ESM-2 fine-tuning) and NVIDIA (DGX Cloud, NVFLARE for federated protein-model training) anchor the infrastructure stack, and integration with the OpenFold Consortium provides the model-development pipeline.

Name

Apheris

Legal name

apheris AI GmbH

Website

https://apheris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Apheris is a Berlin-based federated computing platform that enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to collaboratively train AI models on distributed proprietary drug-discovery datasets without sharing underlying data, operating the AISB Network of nine major pharma companies and the ADMET Network across ADMET and protein-structure workflows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federated AI Platform for Drug Discovery

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), Evaluation, Benchmarking & Observability (Evals, Monitoring, Tracing) (HDAAACAH)

Keywords

• Federated learning platform
• Drug discovery AI
• Pharmaceutical data collaboration
• Secure AI inference
• Federated data networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Apheris Gateway Platform Subscription: Subscription-based access to the Apheris Gateway federated computing platform. Pharmaceutical companies pay for access to join federated data networks, run local inference, and participate in collaborative model training. Revenue model involves enterprise licensing with annual or multi-year contracts. Access includes ApherisFold application for co-folding model execution and benchmarking.
2. Federated Data Network Membership: Revenue generated from membership fees in federated data networks including AISB Network and ADMET Network. Members contribute data and receive access to collaboratively trained AI models with broader applicability domains. Network membership provides ongoing value through model improvements as new data contributions are added.
3. ApherisFold Application Licensing: Enterprise software licensing for ApherisFold, enabling pharmaceutical organizations to securely run, benchmark, and fine-tune co-folding models within their own IT environments. Includes support for OpenFold3, Boltz-2, and Protenix-v1 models. Revenue generated through software deployment and ongoing access to model updates and fine-tuning capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Apheris sells a federated computing platform (Apheris Gateway) and enterprise AI applications (ApherisFold, ApherisFold Lite) that enable pharmaceutical companies to securely run, benchmark, and fine-tune AI models — including co-folding models (OpenFold3, Boltz-2, Protenix-v1) and ADMET prediction models — on distributed proprietary data without centralizing sensitive information. The company operates industry federated data networks (AISB Network, ADMET Network, Antibody Developability Consortium, Federated RWE Network) as consortium offerings where members pay for membership to collaboratively train models across organizational data while preserving IP and regulatory compliance (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, EU AI Act).

Product overview

Apheris is a federated computing platform for life sciences that enables pharmaceutical organizations to collaboratively train AI models on distributed proprietary data without centralizing sensitive information. The product portfolio consists of the Apheris Gateway as the core federated infrastructure, ApherisFold as the flagship application for co-folding model execution and fine-tuning, and federated data networks (AISB Network, ADMET Network, Antibody Developability Consortium, Federated RWE Network) that enable cross-organization model training while maintaining data privacy and IP protection. The platform also includes the Apheris Registry for model management, Trust Center for security compliance, and ApherisFold Lite for browser-based evaluation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ApherisFold: Enterprise software product enabling pharmaceutical organizations to securely run, benchmark, and fine-tune co-folding models including OpenFold3, Boltz-2, and Protenix-v1 within their own IT environments.
• Apheris Gateway
• AI Structural Biology (AISB) Network
• ADMET Network
• Antibody Developability Consortium
• Federated Real-World Evidence (RWE) Network

Products and services

• Apheris Gateway The core federated end-to-end solution that enables pharmaceutical and life sciences organizations to securely collaborate through data networks for model training across distributed proprietary datasets, building robust and generalizable AI models for drug discovery without moving sensitive data. Supports federated training, local inference, benchmarking, fine-tuning workflows, and computational governance with audit trails for compliance.
• ApherisFold Enterprise software enabling pharmaceutical teams to securely run, benchmark, and fine-tune co-folding models (OpenFold3, Boltz-2, Protenix-v1) on proprietary data within their own IT environment, with 3D interactive interface for scientific review and API access for integration into existing drug discovery pipelines.
• ApherisFold Lite Browser-based version of ApherisFold that provides a simple way to explore co-folding workflows without infrastructure setup, allowing teams to run OpenFold3 predictions and review prediction outputs.
• AI Structural Biology (AISB) Network Federated data network powered by Apheris for AI structural biology collaboration, including AbbVie, Astex, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, and Takeda. Enables co-folding models to be collaboratively trained on proprietary protein-small molecule interaction data through federated learning without exposing proprietary information.
• ADMET Network Federated data network enabling pharmaceutical companies to collaboratively train ADMET prediction models without sharing proprietary data. Uses a head-trunk architecture where a shared trunk learns a molecular foundation model across partners' discovery datasets while partner-specific heads remain local.
• Antibody Developability Consortium Joint industry consortium with Ginkgo Datapoints (Ginkgo Bioworks) addressing antibody developability prediction through purpose-built federated datasets and AI training, combining large-scale harmonized antibody developability data with Apheris's federated computing infrastructure for secure, cross-company collaboration.
• Federated Real-World Evidence (RWE) Network Federated network enabling pharma teams and hospitals to run statistical analyses, machine learning, and imaging AI across site-held patient data without moving patient-level data, aligned with GDPR and HIPAA requirements. Includes multi-site networks such as a neuroscience network with data from 50,000+ patients across multiple hospitals.
• Apheris Registry Model registry that fuels every stage of drug discovery, enabling privacy-preserving deployment of federated models including OpenFold-3, BioNeMo, XGBoost, or custom models, with a programmatic interface for integrating custom machine learning pipelines and specialized bioinformatics tools.
• Trust Center Security and compliance resource providing certifications and attestations including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (Type I and Type II) for customers fulfilling compliance obligations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-60% reduction in prediction error across ADMET endpoints (Polaris ADMET Challenge)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered integration partner, network member, core technology partner, core research partner, co-hosting partner, core platform partner, core ecosystem and network partner.

• Collaborative Drug Discoveryintegration partnerTechnology or Integration · 2 June 2026Integration partnership announced at Bio-IT World Conference 2026. TuneLab platform by Eli Lilly will embed into CDD Vault platform, and Apheris participates in discussions around federated learning for drug discovery in this ecosystem.
• Lundbecknetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Founding member of ADMET Network. Lundbeck contributes proprietary ADMET data for federated model training, focusing on CNS drug discovery applications.
• Orion Pharmanetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026ADMET Network founding member. Orion Pharma invests heavily in ML/AI models across discovery programs and contributes to collaborative ADMET model development.
• Recursionnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026ADMET Network founding member. Recursion applies AI end-to-end across drug discovery and contributes proprietary data to improve early ADMET predictions.
• Serviernetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026ADMET Network founding member. Servier embeds ADMET modeling in early discovery workflows and contributes to collaborative model development.
• NVIDIAcore technology partnerTechnology or Integration · 28 October 2025NVIDIA provides GPU infrastructure through DGX Cloud for federating large protein models (OpenFold3 and Boltz-1) using NVFLARE. Partnership enables high-performance federated training of protein structure prediction models across pharmaceutical companies.
• AlQuraishi Lab at Columbia Universitycore research partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Academic research partnership for developing OpenFold and OpenFold3 protein structure prediction models. The AlQuraishi Lab develops AI models for protein structure and function prediction, and Apheris commercializes these through ApherisFold and federated network initiatives.
• Ginkgo Bioworksco-hosting partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025Jointly hosting the Antibody Developability Consortium. Ginkgo Bioworks contributes large-scale, harmonized antibody developability datasets purpose-built for ML training through its Datapoints offering. Apheris provides federated computing infrastructure for secure, cross-company collaboration.
• AWScore platform partnerTechnology or Integration · 11 August 2025AWS is the primary cloud infrastructure partner. Apheris runs federated learning workloads on AWS including FRA-LoRA implementation for fine-tuning protein language models (ESM-2) across multiple sites. The partnership includes collaboration on AWS Life Sciences Symposium and integration with Amazon Bio Discovery platform.
• Astex Pharmaceuticalsnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Joined AISB Network as part of expansion of Federated OpenFold3 Initiative. Astex contributes proprietary protein-ligand interaction data to the federated training environment.
• Bristol Myers Squibbnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Joined AISB Network expansion of Federated OpenFold3 Initiative. BMS contributes proprietary structural datasets for federated OpenFold3 fine-tuning.
• Takedanetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Joined AISB Network expansion of Federated OpenFold3 Initiative. Takeda contributes proprietary protein-small molecule interaction data to the federated training collaboration.
• OpenFold Consortiumcore ecosystemStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Apheris brings privacy-preserving AI infrastructure and collaboration on proprietary data to the OpenFold Consortium. The Consortium develops open-source protein structure prediction models. Apheris commercializes OpenFold3 through ApherisFold and hosts federated training initiatives.
• TriNetXnetwork partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Partnership within the Federated RWE Network. TriNetX provides a global federated real-world data network. Apheris adds new data analytics capabilities enabling broader range of advanced analytics and ML workflows on site-held patient data while maintaining privacy-preserving computational governance.
• AbbVienetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Founding member of AISB Network. AbbVie contributes proprietary protein structure data for federated OpenFold3 training. As part of the AISB Network, AbbVie collaborates with other pharma companies to train AI models for drug discovery without sharing sensitive data.
• Johnson & Johnsonnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025AISB Network founding member and initial participant in Federated OpenFold3 Initiative. J&J contributes proprietary structural biology data for federated model training through Apheris technology.
• AstraZenecanetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025AISB Network member. AstraZeneca participates in the federated data network for AI structural biology collaboration with other major pharmaceutical companies.
• Boehringer Ingelheimnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025AISB Network member. Boehringer Ingelheim collaborates on federated AI model training for drug discovery through the network.
• Sanofinetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025AISB Network member. Sanofi participates in federated collaboration on AI structural biology models for drug discovery.
• Genentechnetwork memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025AISB Network member. Genentech collaborates on federated AI model training for structural biology and drug discovery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Owkin: Paris- and New York-based federated learning platform for healthcare and life sciences, enabling hospitals and pharma to train AI on distributed patient and trial data. Closest direct peer in federated AI for life sciences, with overlapping pharma customer base and similar network/consortium business model.
• Rhino Health: Federated computing platform purpose-built for healthcare, enabling hospitals and researchers to run AI on distributed medical imaging and clinical data. Direct competitor in federated healthcare AI with comparable compliance (HIPAA, GDPR) and multi-site deployment model.
• Lifebit: London-based federated genomics and biomedical data platform serving pharma, biobanks, and government health agencies. Comparable in using federated architectures to enable cross-institution biomedical AI, with overlapping pharma/biotech customer segment.
• TripleBlind: Privacy-preserving computation platform enabling AI training on encrypted/sensitive data across organizations. Directly comparable technology layer for federated/encrypted AI with similar enterprise GTM across regulated industries including healthcare.

Emerging players

• Recursion: AI-driven drug discovery company combining high-throughput biology with proprietary datasets. Both an Apheris customer (ADMET Network founding member) and a competitor in the broader AI-for-drug-discovery category, with overlapping focus on data scale as a competitive moat.
• Insitro: Machine learning-driven drug discovery company with proprietary data generation capabilities. Adjacent peer operating in the intersection of ML and pharma R&D, with comparable scientific ambition and enterprise pharma partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Isomorphic Labs: Alphabet-owned drug discovery company building on DeepMind's AlphaFold. Competes in the same AI-for-protein-structure-prediction category that ApherisFold commercializes via OpenFold3; broad incumbent with deep resources but operating primarily as a discovery company rather than federated infrastructure.
• ConcertAI: Real-world evidence and AI company serving pharma and providers with multi-site analytics. Overlaps with Apheris's Federated RWE Network on healthcare analytics without moving patient data, though ConcertAI operates more as a curated data vendor than a federated infrastructure provider.
• Tempus Labs: Large precision medicine company combining multimodal patient data with AI for pharma and providers. Adjacent in AI-enabled pharma/healthcare analytics, with overlapping real-world data and pharma partnership model but different technical approach (centralized library vs. federated).

Others

• DataRobot: Enterprise AI platform for building, deploying, and governing ML models. While not a federated learning specialist, DataRobot serves the same enterprise AI buyer in pharma/life sciences and could expand into federated training workflows as a complement to Apheris's infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/apheris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apheris-ai
• Xx.com/apheris_AI

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Apheris