What Protai does

Protai is a Tel Aviv-based, privately held AI drug discovery company that operates a platform business targeting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company combines experimental structural proteomics with proprietary machine learning models to map protein complexes and protein-drug interactions under native, dynamic conditions, addressing a class of therapeutic targets, including protein-protein interactions, that conventional small molecule design tools struggle to represent. Its primary customers are large pharma R&D organizations seeking either end-to-end drug discovery collaboration or access to specific drug candidates.

The company's core technology is the AIMS™ platform (AI-driven Molecular mapping of Structure), which comprises two named modules. AIMS-Fold enhances protein folding models by incorporating Protai's proprietary structural proteomics data, including integration with AlphaFold, to generate experimentally grounded representations of protein surfaces, distances, and conformational changes. AIMS-Rank uses these representations to differentiate active from inactive compounds and identify compound features that promote productive conformations, with the goal of discovering best-in-class drug candidates. The platform is supported by a large proprietary proteomic database generated from clinical samples and a scientific advisory board drawn from MD Anderson, Weizmann Institute, Karyopharm, University of Michigan, UPMC, Sanofi, GSK, and Immunitas Therapeutics.

Protai pursues a hybrid revenue model. Platform collaboration revenue is generated by offering end-to-end drug discovery, structural, and computational services to pharma partners on a professional services basis. Asset collaboration revenue is intended to flow from licensing or acquisition of Protai's proprietary drug candidates, with a current pipeline that includes PRT-001, a KAT6A degrader for oncology (launched 2025, IND filing expected 2027), PRT-002, an allosteric PPIi for immunology and inflammation, PRT-003 in oncology, and PRT-004 in I&I. The company is sales-led and uses scientific publications, conference presence (AACR, ESMO, ASMS, Biomed Israel), and its advisory board as primary demand generation channels. It has raised $20 million in cumulative seed funding from Grove Ventures, Pitango HealthTech, and Maj Invest, and was recognized as a Most Innovative Life Science Startup at Biomed Israel 2026.

Name

Protai

Legal name

Protai Bio Ltd.

Website

https://protai.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Protai is an Israel-based AI drug discovery company whose AIMS™ platform combines structural proteomics with proprietary machine learning to map protein complexes and design best-in-class drugs. It serves pharmaceutical companies through platform collaborations and develops an internal pipeline in oncology and immunology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Drug Discovery Platform

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE), Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI), Proteomics & Biomarker Analytical Testing (HLAGADAG)

Keywords

• AI drug discovery
• Structural proteomics
• Computational biology
• Protein complex targeting
• Small molecule design

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharma Partnerships and Collaborations: Revenue generated through partnerships with pharmaceutical companies for platform collaboration (end-to-end drug discovery, structural and computational services) and asset collaboration based on proprietary drug discovery pipeline.
2. Drug Discovery Pipeline Development: Internal pipeline development of novel drugs in oncology and immunology/inflammation with potential for licensing or acquisition by pharmaceutical partners. Pipeline programs include PRT-001 (KAT6A degrader), PRT-002 (Allosteric PPIi), and others.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Protai develops and offers the AIMS™ platform, an AI-powered structural proteomics system that integrates experimental protein structural data with machine learning models to map protein-protein and protein-drug interactions under native, dynamic disease conditions. The platform enables rational small molecule drug design for protein complexes and supports a proprietary pipeline of drug candidates in oncology and immunology/inflammation. Protai also generates revenue through pharma partnerships including platform collaborations (end-to-end drug discovery services) and asset collaborations based on its proprietary pipeline.

Product overview

Protai offers a unified AI-powered drug discovery platform called AIMS™ (AI-driven Molecular mapping of Structure), which combines structural proteomics with machine learning to discover drugs targeting protein complexes. The platform consists of two core modules: AIMS-Fold for enhancing protein folding models with proprietary structural proteomics data, and AIMS-Rank for discovering and ranking best-in-class drug candidates. Built on this platform, Protai is developing a pipeline of drug candidates including PRT-001 (KAT6A degrader for oncology, launched 2025), PRT-002 (allosteric PPIi for immunology/inflammation), PRT-003 (oncology), and PRT-004 (immunology/inflammation), all currently in discovery through IND-enabling stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AIMS™ Platform An AI-powered structural proteomics platform that maps protein complexes and drug interactions under native dynamic conditions, enabling rational small molecule drug design for challenging protein-protein interaction targets. Targeted at pharmaceutical companies seeking end-to-end drug discovery, structural and computational collaboration.
• AIMS-Fold A module within the AIMS™ platform that enhances protein folding models by incorporating proprietary structural proteomics data under native, dynamic disease conditions, providing higher biological fidelity than naive AI approaches. Targeted at pharmaceutical companies.
• AIMS-Rank A module within the AIMS™ platform that discovers best-in-class drugs by accurately representing protein assemblies and drug-induced states, differentiating active from inactive compounds. Targeted at pharmaceutical companies.
• PRT-001 (KAT6A Degrader) A best-in-class KAT6A degrader for oncology applications, developed using the AIMS™ platform. Available for licensing or asset collaboration with pharmaceutical partners.
• PRT-002 (Allosteric PPIi) An allosteric protein-protein interaction inhibitor (PPIi) targeting immunology and inflammation (I&I), currently in discovery/lead optimization stage. Available for asset collaboration or licensing with pharmaceutical partners.
• PRT-003 An oncology drug candidate in discovery/lead optimization stage, developed using the AIMS™ platform. Available for asset collaboration or licensing with pharmaceutical partners.
• PRT-004 An immunology and inflammation (I&I) drug candidate in discovery/lead optimization stage. Available for asset collaboration or licensing with pharmaceutical partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform enables faster and more scalable drug discovery compared to traditional methods like X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dr. Giulio DraettacoreOthersChief Scientific Officer of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Provides focused leadership and innovation expertise to guide scientific and strategic direction.
• Prof. Tami GeigercoreOthersProfessor from Weizmann Institute of Science, world leader in clinical cancer proteomics. Lab uses state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based proteomics technology to study cancer progression and drug resistance mechanisms.
• Dr. Sharon ShachamcoreOthersSerial entrepreneur in Biotech. Founded Karyopharm Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KPTI) and created novel oral cancer drug Xpovio, leading it from idea to commercialization.
• Prof. Funda Meric-BernstamcoreOthersHead of Phase 1 Unit of MD Anderson. Internationally recognized contributions to precision oncology. Leader of one of the largest Phase I programs in the world, focused on innovative basket trials.
• Prof. Alexey I. NesvizhskiicoreOthersEndowed Godfrey Dorr Stobbe Professor of Bioinformatics at University of Michigan. Lab works in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and proteogenomics, with tools used by thousands of laboratories worldwide.
• Dr. Jurgen MollcoreOthersPharma veteran with over 20 years in leadership positions at Pharmacia, Pfizer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Sanofi. Proven track record in progressing Oncology targets.
• Annalisa D'AndreacoreOthersCSO of Immunitas Therapeutics. Seasoned biotechnology executive with over 25 years of experience in drug discovery and development, particularly in immunology and inflammation.
• Dr. Philip JonescoreOthersVP of Sciences and Discovery at UPMC. Decades of experience in pharmaceutical R&D and leadership roles. Instrumental in progressing multiple therapeutic programs from discovery into clinical development.
• Dr. Ian ChurchercoreOthersPROTAC and Targeted Degradation Expert. Pioneer in targeted protein degradation, led discovery teams at leading biopharma organizations, shaping early development of PROTAC and induced-proximity modalities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: AI-driven drug discovery platform combining high-throughput biology with machine learning to identify novel therapeutics across multiple disease areas. Both companies pursue a platform+asset model selling partnerships to pharma while building internal pipelines, making Recursion a directly comparable AI biotech.
• Insitro: AI-driven drug discovery company combining machine learning with high-throughput biology to predict drug behavior and design new therapeutics. Insitro pursues the same dual platform+internal pipeline approach as Protai, with pharma partnerships and proprietary assets.
• Schrödinger: Computational drug discovery platform combining physics-based modeling with AI for molecular design. Schrödinger offers platform software to pharma (similar to Protai's AIMS collaboration model) while building an internal pipeline, making it a direct business-model and technology peer.
• Isomorphic Labs: Alphabet-owned AI drug discovery company built on DeepMind's AlphaFold protein structure prediction, pursuing platform partnerships with major pharma. Protai explicitly integrates AlphaFold with its proprietary proteomics data, making Isomorphic Labs a direct technology and competitive peer.
• Atomwise: AI-driven small molecule drug discovery company using convolutional neural networks to predict binding and design compounds. Atomwise pursues pharma partnerships across multiple therapeutic areas with a similar platform-collaboration model to Protai.
• Exscientia: AI-driven precision medicine and drug discovery company combining AI with patient-derived data for design of new therapeutics. Exscientia pursues both pharma platform partnerships and internal pipeline programs, paralleling Protai's business model.
• Generate Biomedicines: AI-driven protein design company using generative machine learning to create novel protein therapeutics. Generate shares Protai's emphasis on AI-designed protein therapeutics and has both pharma partnerships and an internal pipeline, making it a direct technology peer.
• XtalPi: AI-driven drug discovery company combining physics-based modeling, AI, and automated experimentation to design small molecule and solid-form therapeutics. XtalPi serves pharma through platform partnerships analogous to Protai's collaboration model.

Emerging players

• BigHat Biosciences: AI-driven antibody design company combining machine learning with high-throughput wet-lab experimentation. BigHat focuses on next-generation antibody therapeutics with a platform+partnership model, sharing AI-protein engineering DNA with Protai's AIMS approach.
• Seer: Proteomics company developing proprietary technology for deep, unbiased proteomic analysis at scale. Seer's proteomics platform is adjacent/partial-overlap with Protai's structural proteomics capabilities, making it a thematic and capability peer in proteomics-driven discovery.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Protai