Cyclica
Cyclica was a Toronto-based AI drug discovery company that built a patented cloud-based predictive analytics platform using machine learning to analyze preclinical data and identify therapeutic targets for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. The company was acquired by Recursion Pharmaceuticals in May 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cyclica does
Cyclica Inc. was a Toronto, Canada-based AI-driven drug discovery company founded in 2013, operating with a team of 11–50 employees. The company built a patented cloud-based predictive analytics platform that applied machine learning to preclinical data to identify therapeutic targets and characterize drug candidates, addressing the high cost, long timelines, and low success rates of traditional pharmaceutical R&D. Its core product was an AI-enabled drug discovery platform that supported target identification, preclinical data analysis, and development of novel therapeutics — including a specific initiative to develop non-hormonal contraceptives for women in developing countries funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Cyclica operated as a B2B technology provider, monetizing primarily through enterprise licensing and royalty arrangements with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, supplemented by grant funding for targeted therapeutic programs. Its customer segments spanned pharmaceutical companies conducting drug discovery and preclinical analysis, and biotechnology firms requiring cost-effective computational capabilities for target identification. Distribution was direct enterprise sales with a global reach, supported by industry conference participation and scientific publications as marketing channels. Major investors across nine funding rounds (2014–2022) included GreenSky Ventures, Drive Capital, Chiesi Farmaceutici, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with cumulative capital raised of approximately $25.6 million USD.
In May 2023, Recursion Pharmaceuticals acquired Cyclica for $40 million USD, integrating its AI-enabled drug discovery capabilities into Recursion's broader AI-bio platform. Following the acquisition, Cyclica ceased independent operations, and its original domain (cyclicarx.com) was listed for sale, indicating full operational integration into the parent company.
Cyclica firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cyclica
- Legal name
- Cyclica Inc.
- Website
- https://cyclicarx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cyclica was a Toronto-based AI drug discovery company that built a patented cloud-based predictive analytics platform using machine learning to analyze preclinical data and identify therapeutic targets for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. The company was acquired by Recursion Pharmaceuticals in May 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cyclica industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Drug Discovery Software
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI), Endocrinology & Reproductive Health Pharmaceuticals (incl. Women’s Health) (HLAIAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Cyclica is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cyclica business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AI Drug Discovery Services: Provides AI-enabled drug discovery services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Revenue generated through research partnerships and technology licensing agreements.
- Research Grants: Received grant funding from foundations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) for specific drug development research projects targeting developing country needs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Cyclica product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cyclica operates an AI-augmented drug-discovery platform that applies machine learning to preclinical and in-vitro data to predict drug-target interactions, profile polypharmacology, and design novel small molecules. The platform supports structure-based design, ligand-based design, ADMET prediction, and proteome-wide off-target screening for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research clients. Cyclica also runs an internal non-hormonal contraceptive discovery program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop therapeutics for low- and middle-income countries.
Product overview
Cyclica operated as an AI-driven drug discovery company. Its core offering was an AI-enabled drug discovery platform that utilized machine learning to analyze preclinical data and support the identification and development of novel therapeutic compounds. The company focused on applications including non-hormonal contraceptive development. Cyclica was acquired by Recursion Pharmaceuticals in May 2023 for $40 million, and the company's primary website (cyclicarx.com) is now listed for sale, indicating the brand is no longer independently operated.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cyclica MatchMaker AI-driven polypharmacology platform that screens small molecules against the human proteome to identify on-target engagement and off-target interactions, supporting lead prioritization and drug repurposing for pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D teams.
- Cyclica Ligand Design AI-augmented molecular design platform that combines structure-based and ligand-based design with ADMET property prediction to support hit-to-lead and lead-optimization workflows for medicinal chemists.
- Non-Hormonal Contraceptive Discovery Program Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded drug-discovery program to develop non-hormonal contraceptive therapeutics intended for women in low- and middle-income countries where hormonal contraceptives are unsuitable or undesired.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully secured $2.4M CAD grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for non-hormonal contraceptive development
Companies that use Cyclica
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cyclica technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Cyclica partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Recursion PharmaceuticalsflagshipIn May 2023, Recursion Pharmaceuticals acquired Canada-based Cyclica Inc. for $40 million to strengthen its technology-driven drug discovery capabilities. This acquisition expanded Recursion's AI-enabled drug discovery ecosystem.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cyclica competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Isomorphic Labs: Alphabet-backed AI drug discovery company with deep compute resources; broader scope but overlapping ML target identification and pharma partnership model.
Direct peers
- Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Acquirer of Cyclica and a leading AI-driven drug discovery platform combining ML with high-throughput wet-lab experimentation; directly overlaps in target identification and preclinical analytics.
- Insilico Medicine: AI drug discovery company using generative ML and multi-modal data to identify novel targets and molecules; closely comparable in platform approach and pharma/biotech customer base.
- Atomwise: ML-based small-molecule drug design platform with pharma partnerships; comparable on AI-driven hit identification and B2B licensing model.
- Exscientia: Public AI-driven precision medicine and drug discovery company with platform partnerships across pharma; directly comparable in ML-driven preclinical and clinical discovery.
- Schrödinger: Computational chemistry and predictive analytics platform serving pharma/biotech; comparable in software-led drug discovery and target identification workflows.
- BenevolentAI: AI-based drug discovery company using knowledge graphs and ML for target identification; overlaps with Cyclica's predictive analytics positioning and pharma partnerships.
- XtalPi: AI- and physics-based drug discovery platform combining computation with wet-lab validation; comparable in preclinical analytics and enterprise pharma customer base.
Emerging players
- Iambic Therapeutics: AI-driven drug discovery start-up focused on small-molecule design using physics-informed ML; partial overlap with Cyclica's preclinical analytics platform.
- BenchSci: Toronto-based AI/ML platform for life sciences R&D, focused on antibody and reagent selection; comparable as a Canadian ML-for-life-sciences platform with pharma enterprise customers.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cyclica social profiles
Digital presenceCyclica financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cyclica leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cyclica funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cyclica M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cyclica
What does Cyclica do?
Cyclica operates an AI-augmented drug-discovery platform that applies machine learning to preclinical and in-vitro data to predict drug-target interactions, profile polypharmacology, and design novel small molecules. The platform supports structure-based design, ligand-based design, ADMET prediction, and proteome-wide off-target screening for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research clients. Cyclica also runs an internal non-hormonal contraceptive discovery program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop therapeutics for low- and middle-income countries.
Is Cyclica a public or private company?
Cyclica is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Cyclica founded?
Cyclica was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cyclica based?
Cyclica is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Cyclica make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. AI Drug Discovery Services are the primary driver. The others are research Grants.
Who are Cyclica's main competitors?
Isomorphic Labs is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Insilico Medicine, Atomwise, Exscientia, Schrödinger, BenevolentAI and XtalPi. Emerging players are Iambic Therapeutics and BenchSci.
Does Cyclica have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cyclica.
What industry is Cyclica in?
Cyclica's product category is AI Drug Discovery Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAO, AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization, with a secondary code of HLAAAIAI, Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 7372.