PACE-AMR

Name

PACE-AMR

Legal name

Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy (PACE)

Website

https://paceamr.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Antimicrobial resistance translational funding

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Program Grants Management & Administration (HLAJALAC), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Emergency Preparedness & Response Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAL)

Keywords

• Antimicrobial resistance funding
• Translational research grants
• Antibacterial therapeutics funding
• AMR diagnostics development
• Early-stage drug discovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding Programme: PACE provides non-dilutive philanthropic grants to fund early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics research. The programme has a total commitment of £30 million over five years deployed as grants to selected projects. Funding covers 100% of direct project costs including staff, consumables, specialist equipment access, and CRO work. Payments are made quarterly in arrears based on actual costs incurred and defrayed against agreed milestones.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Effectiveness) is a £30 million UK-based translational funding initiative that provides non-dilutive grants (up to £1 million per project) to early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics innovators worldwide. The programme combines grant funding with wraparound support services including the Catalyser application-development programme, the Academy post-funding support, R&D Advisory Services, and access to a Delivery Partner Network of contract research organisations. PACE was established in 2023 by LifeArc, Innovate UK, and Medicines Discovery Catapult to address the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis.

Product overview

PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) is a £30 million UK-based funding and support initiative founded in 2023 by LifeArc, Medicines Discovery Catapult, and Innovate UK. Rather than a traditional product company, PACE operates as a translational accelerator programme offering non-dilutive grant funding alongside wraparound support services including the Catalyser application support programme, the Academy post-funding support, R&D Advisory Services, and access to a Delivery Partner Network of contract research organisations. PACE also provides enabling technology capabilities through partnerships with UKHSA (bacterial strain panels) and Edge Health (health economics evaluation). The initiative funds a portfolio of early-stage therapeutic projects (antibacterials, monoclonal antibodies, bacteriophage therapeutics, novel antibiotic classes) and diagnostic projects (point-of-care tests, whole-genome sequencing, lateral flow tests, molecular diagnostics) targeting antimicrobial resistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PACE Funding Programme The £30 million PACE translational funding initiative offering non-dilutive grant funding and wraparound support to early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics innovators, with up to £1 million per project across competitive funding rounds.
• 2023 Antibacterial Therapeutics Funding Round Initial PACE funding round with up to £10 million available to support up to 12 projects focused on developing new antibacterial therapeutics targeting WHO bacterial priority pathogens.
• 2024 Diagnostic Innovations Funding Round Dedicated PACE funding round supporting innovative diagnostic projects that address the world's most threatening pathogens and AMR challenges, including rapid diagnostics, point-of-care tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• 2025 Antibacterial Therapeutics Funding Round (Third Round) PACE's third funding round providing up to £6 million to support up to eight promising early-stage antibacterial therapeutics projects with maximum £1 million per project, prioritising novel mechanisms of action targeting WHO high AMR burden infections.
• PACE Catalyser Two-month support programme helping shortlisted PACE applicants strengthen their project proposals through tools, guidance, and expert support during the application process before full SPAG review.
• PACE Academy Post-funding support programme connecting PACE-funded innovators with stakeholders and experts to provide tailored guidance for progressing funded assets toward clinical development.
• R&D Advisory Services Dedicated R&D advisors who actively engage with funded PACE projects throughout the project lifecycle, providing mentorship, signposting, and connections across the delivery partner network.
• UKHSA AMR Strain Panels (enabling capability) Access to UKHSA's clinically relevant bacterial strain panels and susceptibility testing data through the Open Innovation in AMR platform, enabling PACE awardees to perform early in vitro antimicrobial activity evaluation across the therapeutics portfolio.
• Edge Health Health Economics Service Health economics service delivered through Edge Health that develops care pathway analyses covering bloodstream, respiratory tract, and urinary tract infections across UK, US, EU, and LMICs, creating structured economic modelling tools and bespoke value propositions for each PACE diagnostics project.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39.1 million estimated deaths from AMR between 2025-2050 if no action is taken
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered enabling project partner, managing partner, enabling technology partner, support partner and delivery network.

• Edge Healthenabling project partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 27 May 2026Health economics consultancy partnership to develop health economic tools and analysis tailored specifically to early-stage AMR diagnostic technologies. Edge Health works with PACE's diagnostics cohort to develop care pathway analyses covering bloodstream, respiratory tract, and urinary tract infections across UK, US, EU, and LMICs. Creates structured economic modelling tools and bespoke value propositions for each PACE diagnostics project.
• LifeArcmanaging partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2023LifeArc is a charitable medical research organization and one of three Managing Partners of PACE. As a company limited by guarantee (company number 02698321) and registered charity (charity number 1015243 and SC037861), LifeArc contributes to the £30 million PACE initiative, bringing its translational research expertise to help break down barriers preventing AMR breakthroughs.
• Innovate UK (UK Research and Innovation)managing partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2023Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It serves as a Managing Partner providing funding through the PACE programme, with its public task laid out in the Higher Education Research Act 2017. Part of awards provided by Innovate UK constitute subsidies under the RDI Streamlined Route.
• Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC)managing partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2023Medicines Discovery Catapult Limited (company number 09928547) serves as the liaison hub for PACE and hosts the programme team. MDC leads on data subject rights requests and communications on behalf of all PACE Partners. The organisation reshapes drug discovery for patient benefit and brings extensive R&D community connections to PACE.
• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)enabling technology partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UKHSA gives PACE awardees access to clinically relevant bacterial strain panels through UKHSA's Open Innovation in AMR platform. This enables early evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity across the PACE therapeutics portfolio, providing susceptibility data from an experienced team. Expanded panels include contemporary multidrug-resistant isolates available to the wider AMR community.
• Vocalsupport partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) partner supporting applicants to write impactful lay summaries. Vocal supports the AMR Community Representatives Committee (ACRC) to review lay summaries as part of the application review process, ensuring people affected by AMR have opportunities to shape research.
• Delivery Partner Network (DPN)delivery networkChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConvened network of delivery partners supporting PACE-funded projects and wider AMR R&D community. Includes over 20 organizations providing laboratory services, consultancy, and expertise across drug discovery and diagnostic development. Partners include Abingdon Health, Absolute Antibody, Almac, ApconiX, APIS Assay Technologies, BBI Solutions, BioAscent, Biofortuna, Boyds, Charles River, Concept Life Sciences, CPI, Domainex, Evotec, Fios Genomics, IHMA, LGC Genomics, NIHR HRC, Pharmidex, TTP, Upperton Pharma Solutions, and UKHSA. Funded projects retain choice of delivery partners.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Innovative Health Initiative (IHI / former IMI): Public-private partnership funding collaborative health R&D including AMR. While broader in scope, it is a comparable large EU public-sector translational funding mechanism competing for the same European AMR innovators.
• BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority): US government agency funding AMR and other health security R&D. PACE awardees — many of which target WHO priority pathogens — frequently engage BARDA at later translational stages; serves as a comparable public-sector AMR funder.
• AMR Action Fund: A >$1B industry-backed fund backing clinical-stage antibiotic developers. While later-stage than PACE, both target the AMR pipeline gap and compete for the same innovator mindshare and downstream value capture.
• Wellcome Trust: One of the world's largest charitable health research funders, with active AMR programmes including AMR-focused translational funding. Comparable funder profile to LifeArc's role within PACE.
• Gates Foundation (Global Health): Major global health philanthropy funding R&D for infectious diseases including AMR. Comparable large-scale grantmaking orientation and downstream of similar translational research programmes.

Others

• Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC): A PACE Managing Partner, but as an independent entity operates drug-discovery R&D services. Closely aligned with PACE's operations and strategic goals, and a possible destination for PACE-funded assets seeking CRO-style support.
• LifeArc: UK medical research charity and PACE Managing Partner. Operates translational funding programmes with adjacent structures (e.g. LifeArc's own centres and seed funds) that overlap with PACE's mission and applicant base.

Direct peers

• CARB-X: Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator — the world's leading pre-clinical AMR accelerator providing non-dilutive funding and wraparound support. Directly comparable mission, structure and applicant profile to PACE.
• GARDP (Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership): International not-for-profit developing new antibiotic treatments focused on drug-resistant infections. Direct peer in AMR mission, target pathogens and public-interest funding model.
• Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund: A venture-style impact fund investing in companies developing new antimicrobial treatments. Operates in the same pre-clinical/early-clinical AMR funding space, often as PACE graduates' next stop.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pace-amr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments6 records

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

Frequently asked questions about PACE-AMR