Berlin-based Apheris, a company specialising in federated computing for the life sciences sector, has completed its Series A funding round, raising its total funding to $20.8M (approximately €20.24M).
The round was led by European DeepTech venture capital firms OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL, with participation from existing investors such as Octopus Ventures and Heal Capital.
Hannes Schill, Managing Partner at eCAPITAL, says, “We have closely followed Apheris’ journey since its inception and have been impressed by Apheris’ technological advancements in federated computing. As cybersecurity investors, we recognise the growing importance of secure and private data collaboration, particularly in the life sciences sector where such capabilities can drive transformative outcomes.
Apheris enables organisations to unlock value out of their IP-sensitive data while maintaining full control over it. We are proud to support the Apheris team in scaling its technology and redefining secure data collaboration in healthcare and beyond.”
In August 2020, Apheris raised €2.5M in funding. The round was led by UK-based LocalGlobe, with support from Dig Ventures, Ross Mason (founder of MuleSoft), and Patrick Pichette (former Google CFO and Twitter board chairman).
Apheris facilitates secure data collaboration in life sciences
Founded in 2019 by Robin Röhm and Michael Höh, Apheris provides secure and governed access to data for AI and analytics, serving leading pharmaceutical companies such as Roche and Johnson & Johnson, as well as major hospitals.
The company addresses governance and intellectual property protection challenges in collaborative networks.
According to Apheris, most healthcare data, around 97% per cent goes unused because it is stored separately by different organisations and can’t be shared due to privacy and security concerns. This lack of access slows down progress in life sciences.
Apheris’ Compute Gateway solves this problem by allowing secure AI model training without moving sensitive data. This protects data privacy and enables organisations to collaborate more effectively.
The company’s product supports major life sciences data networks, helping pharmaceutical companies collaborate with other pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, hospitals, and clinical sites.
One example is the AI Structural Biology (AISB) Consortium, which uses Apheris’ secure federated learning system to develop AI drug discovery models while keeping data private.
The consortium includes companies such as AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson, and Sanofi. Its members combine their expertise and data to improve the accuracy of protein structure predictions.
Capital utilisation
Apheris’ new funds will help expand its role as a federated computing provider for top biopharmaceutical companies. By 2025 end, the company aims to create the largest and most secure life sciences data network by connecting distributed health data for AI and analytics.
With its Series A funding, Apheris plans to host advanced models, like those for protein-complex prediction, achieving better performance by securely accessing previously unavailable private data.
The company will also focus on enabling collaborative model training for key life sciences use cases and strengthening its position as the most secure solution for life sciences data networks, supported by the cybersecurity expertise of its investors, OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL.
Robin Röhm, CEO of Apheris, says, “I’m very excited to welcome OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL as new partners on our journey. Their deep understanding of the complexities of building a high-security, technically advanced product stood out.”
“With their help, Apheris will unlock the potential of AI and machine learning for the life science industry by solving its critical bottleneck: access to large and diverse data.”
Brief about the lead investors
OTB Ventures is a European venture capital fund specialising in Series A and late seed investments. It supports startups developing innovative technologies in Enterprise AI & Automation, spacetech, fintech infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Founded in 2017, OTB Ventures manages over €350M and operates from offices in Amsterdam and Warsaw.
Speaking about the investment in Apheris, Marcin Hejka, Managing Partner at OTB Ventures, says, “We believe Apheris could become a critical component in the federated data networks that are starting to emerge. We see a maturing ecosystem of third-party software tools (open-source federation engines, data quality tools, and security products).”
“Apheris also enables seamless integration with complementary privacy-enhancing technologies (homomorphic encryption, differential privacy, synthetic data).”
eCAPITAL, founded in 1999, is a German venture capital firm investing in early and growth-stage deep tech companies that positively impact society. Managing over €400M, it focuses on sustainability, enterprise software, cybersecurity, IoT, and new materials. The firm also provides strategic support and access to a global network of entrepreneurs, scientists, and investors.
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