Kantify
Kantify is a Belgian AI biotech founded in 2016 that operates Sapian, a probabilistic-inference small molecule discovery engine for undruggable targets, serving top global biopharma companies, academic and hospital research labs, and rare-disease patient organizations through project-based partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Kantify does
Kantify is a Belgian biotech company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Brussels, operating a remote-first team of 1–10 employees based primarily in Belgium and France. Its core product is Sapian, a proprietary AI-driven small molecule discovery engine that uses probabilistic inference — rather than structure-based docking or physical high-throughput screening — to predict protein-ligand interactions across the entire eukaryotic proteome. Sapian is organized into Sapian.Target (novel protein target discovery) and Sapian.Hit (polypharmacological new chemical entity identification), with built-in safety-by-design features including hERG, ADMETox (BBB, DILI), and IP-clean chemotype selection. The platform routinely screens 13.6 billion compounds per day, a 10,000-fold scale advantage over average pharma HTS campaigns, and reports partner hit rates of 10%–90% versus an industry average below 0.1%.
Kantify monetizes Sapian through an enterprise, project-based partnership model: prospective customers (top-10 global biopharma companies, leading academic and hospital research labs, and patient organizations focused on rare diseases) submit biological targets; Sapian performs in silico virtual screening and optimization; and partners conduct wet-lab validation using their own infrastructure. The funnel begins with non-binding, confidential feasibility analyses and progresses into paid discovery collaborations. Customers disclosed in source materials include Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Institut Bergonié, INSERM, CNRS, I-Stem, and the European Commission (DREAMS AI project). Revenue is also supplemented by patient-organization grants (e.g., INCITE Foundation) and EU program funding.
The company positions itself as a 'post-docking era' pioneer, differentiating on the ability to address 'undruggable' targets without 3D structures or known modulators, with disclosed outcomes including a 132x hit-rate improvement in the Johns Hopkins prostate cancer program, full tumor growth arrest in vivo without notable toxicity, and compression of typical 24-month target-to-validation timelines to 4 months in the liposarcoma program. Founder-CEO Ségolène Martin leads the organization, supported by COO Nicolas Maignan and Scientific Advisor Dr. Eckhard von Keutz (former VP at Bayer Pharmaceuticals). No external funding rounds, revenue figures, or patent portfolio details are disclosed in the available source material.
Kantify firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kantify
- Legal name
- Kantify
- Website
- https://kantify.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kantify is a Belgian AI biotech founded in 2016 that operates Sapian, a probabilistic-inference small molecule discovery engine for undruggable targets, serving top global biopharma companies, academic and hospital research labs, and rare-disease patient organizations through project-based partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kantify industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Drug Discovery Platform
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI), AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)
Keywords
Where Kantify is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kantify business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AI Drug Discovery Services: Kantify provides AI-powered drug discovery services through its Sapian platform. Partners provide biological targets, and Sapian conducts virtual screening and optimization. The company follows a partnership model where wet lab validation is conducted by partners using their existing testing infrastructure. Revenue is generated through project-based collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and patient organizations.
- Feasibility Analysis Services: Non-binding and confidential feasibility analyses are offered for therapeutic targets before any pilot engagement, potentially leading to paid discovery projects.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kantify product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kantify develops and operates Sapian, a universal AI-driven small molecule discovery engine that uses probabilistic inference to predict protein-ligand interactions across the entire eukaryotic proteome. It identifies novel, IP-clean chemotypes for previously undruggable therapeutic targets, routinely screening 13.6 billion compounds per day without requiring crystal structures or known modulators. The platform delivers project-based virtual screening, hit optimization, and safety prediction services to pharmaceutical, academic, and patient-organization partners.
Product overview
Kantify operates as a single unified AI drug discovery platform called Sapian, which consists of integrated modules for target discovery (Sapian.Target) and hit discovery (Sapian.Hit). Sapian uses probabilistic AI inference to overcome undruggable targets without requiring crystal structures, screening billions of compounds to identify novel, IP-clean chemotypes. The platform also offers a scientific content series called 'Behind the Pill' that publishes Sapian-generated target predictions for established drugs. Kantify also developed AI models for medical imaging analysis (diabetic retinopathy detection) and cardiac arrhythmia prediction (atrial fibrillation), though these are historical capabilities rather than current product offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sapian: AI-driven small molecule discovery engine for undruggable targets, capable of screening billions of compounds per day and predicting protein-ligand interactions across the eukaryotic proteome.
Products and services
- Sapian Universal AI-driven small molecule discovery engine that uses probabilistic inference to predict protein-ligand interactions across the entire eukaryotic proteome, identifying novel IP-clean chemotypes for undruggable therapeutic targets. Screens 13.6 billion compounds per day without requiring crystal structures or known modulators.
- Sapian.Target Target discovery algorithm within Sapian that identifies multiple novel protein targets driving disease growth and metastasis for experimental validation.
- Sapian.Hit Hit discovery algorithm within Sapian that identifies polypharmacological new chemical entities predicted to modulate specified targets of interest by screening virtual libraries.
- AI Drug Discovery Partnership Services Project-based virtual screening and lead optimization engagements in which partners submit biological targets, Sapian conducts massive-scale virtual search and optimization, and partners perform wet-lab validation using their existing infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- Screens 13 billion compounds per day (10,000x faster than average HTS)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Kantify
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kantify technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Kantify partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Nanyang Technological UniversitycoreDr. Maya Jeitany's lab conducted joint execution of parallel target discovery and hit discovery using Sapian for liposarcoma. Target validation and hit validation of Sapian predictions resulted in first in vivo-ready candidate.
- Institut BergoniécoreIndependently validated candidates predicted by Sapian through in vitro and in vivo assays under Professor Antoine Italiano's leadership. Reproduced core signal, evaluated additional molecules, and conducted in vivo validation demonstrating increased overall survival in mouse CDX models.
- Rosebud BiosciencessupportingComplementary biotech company that performed off target toxicity testing on iPSC-derived organoids through its state-of-the-art robotics platform as part of the liposarcoma program.
- Vibe BiosupportingUsed its dedicated AI technology to collect and rank different IP and market positioning characteristics of Kantify's repurposable candidates in the liposarcoma program.
- CNRScoreUbiquitin-like protein target discovery project resulting in first-in-class candidate after only 15 compounds tested in total with best candidate at 2μM potency.
- Université de NantescoreCardiovascular hERG cardiotoxicity prediction validation. Showed near 95% balanced accuracy in predicting hERG toxicity on unseen compounds with high chemical diversity.
- I-StemcoreLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophies (LGMD) research identifying multiple novel druggable targets. Validated targets using siRNA silencing in iPSC-derived cellular models of the disease, opening road to targeted therapies for LGMD patients.
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicinecoreCollaboration with Dr. Perera's lab using Sapian to discover novel drugs for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Identified small molecule candidates through virtual screening, with successful in vivo validation showing full tumor growth arrest without notable toxicity. Resulted in identification of four novel entities combating prostate cancer.
- European CommissioncoreSelected by the European Commission to perform unprecedented research project on rare diseases and AI. The DREAMS AI project focuses on tackling 5 rare diseases using AI-powered drug discovery.
- INSERM/IGF/Université de NantescoreOrphan ion channel target validation project resulting in successful de-orphanization of target through first-in-class candidate with 2.2μM potency. SAPian selected 19 compounds from 8 million library yielding 2 hits.
- European Biotechnology NetworksupportingJoined the European Biotechnology Network dedicated to facilitating international cooperation and bringing together European research groups, universities, SMEs, and large organizations working in biotechnology and life sciences.
- Stevenage Bioscience CatalystsupportingJoined Data-driven Advanced Therapeutics Accelerator managed by Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, supporting growth and networking in the advanced therapies ecosystem.
- MculesupportingKantify uses Mcule's compound sourcing platform to leverage data for better hit prediction, combining AI-powered virtual screening with efficient compound procurement.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kantify competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- XtalPi: XtalPi combines AI, quantum physics, and robotics for small molecule discovery and crystallization prediction, with a strong Asia-Pacific footprint and growing pharma partnerships in adjacent AI-driven chemistry.
- Genesis Therapeutics: Genesis Therapeutics is an emerging AI-first small molecule design company using generative models for hit discovery, with a pipeline and pharma collaborations that overlap with Kantify's target identification and lead generation value proposition.
Direct peers
- Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Recursion is a direct peer applying AI/ML to high-content biology and chemistry, with its own clinical pipeline plus major pharma partnerships (Roche-Genentech, Bayer), competing for similar enterprise platform deals.
- Schrödinger: Schrödinger provides physics-based and AI-augmented computational chemistry platforms (LiveDesign) used by pharma for hit identification and lead optimization, serving as a benchmark for the enterprise computational drug discovery category Kantify competes in.
- Atomwise: Atomwise is the closest direct peer: an AI-native small molecule discovery company whose AtomNet platform screens ultra-large virtual libraries for hit identification, mirroring Kantify's Sapian workflow and target customer base of pharma and academic partners.
- Isomorphic Labs: Isomorphic Labs (Alphabet) is a direct peer using deep learning for drug design, with major pharma alliances (Eli Lilly, Novartis) and ambitions to industrialize AI-driven small molecule discovery.
- Insilico Medicine: Insilico Medicine is a direct peer using generative AI and deep learning for target identification and small molecule design, with an internal pipeline plus pharma collaborations spanning oncology, fibrosis, and rare diseases.
- BenevolentAI: BenevolentAI combines a biomedical knowledge graph with machine learning for target discovery and small molecule design, addressing the same undruggable-target and rare-disease use cases as Sapian.
- Iambic: Iambic (formerly Entos) is an early-stage direct peer building AI models for small molecule design and ADMET prediction, with comparable ambitions around high-throughput virtual screening and partner-led validation.
- Exscientia: Exscientia is a direct peer offering AI-driven end-to-end small molecule drug design, including hit discovery, lead optimization, and partnered clinical assets, competing for the same top-10 biopharma platform deals that Kantify targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kantify social profiles
Digital presenceKantify financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kantify leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Kantify funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kantify 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 Kantify
What does Kantify do?
Kantify develops and operates Sapian, a universal AI-driven small molecule discovery engine that uses probabilistic inference to predict protein-ligand interactions across the entire eukaryotic proteome. It identifies novel, IP-clean chemotypes for previously undruggable therapeutic targets, routinely screening 13.6 billion compounds per day without requiring crystal structures or known modulators. The platform delivers project-based virtual screening, hit optimization, and safety prediction services to pharmaceutical, academic, and patient-organization partners.
Is Kantify a public or private company?
Kantify is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kantify founded?
Kantify was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kantify based?
Kantify is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Kantify make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. AI Drug Discovery Services are the primary driver. The others are feasibility Analysis Services.
Who are Kantify's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are XtalPi and Genesis Therapeutics. Direct peers are Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Schrödinger, Atomwise, Isomorphic Labs, Insilico Medicine, BenevolentAI, Iambic and Exscientia.
Does Kantify have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kantify.
What industry is Kantify in?
Kantify's product category is AI Drug Discovery Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAE, AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening), 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 7371.