Biotech startup Imperagen has secured £5 million ($6.7 million) in seed funding to accelerate the engineering of enzymes using quantum physics and artificial intelligence. The round was led by PXN Ventures, with participation from IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. Founded in 2021 by scientists from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, the company aims to transform the traditional, slow, and physical trial-and-error methods used in enzyme development. Imperagen employs a three-pronged technological approach to redefine the field. First, it utilizes quantum physics-based simulations to predict how enzyme variants will behave, allowing the exploration of millions of mutations on a computer before any physical testing occurs. Second, this data informs custom AI models trained specifically on complex enzyme challenges. Third, the company closes the feedback loop using robotics and automation to generate experimental data, which is then fed back into the AI models to continuously refine predictions. This closed-loop simulation promises to make enzyme engineering significantly faster, more efficient, and less costly. Enzymes play a critical role across multiple industries, including pharmaceuticals, where they are vital for drug discovery. They are also essential for food production, biofuels, and agriculture. Experts believe that advancing enzyme engineering can have a cascading positive effect, enabling faster drug development and making industrial manufacturing more sustainable. Competitors in this space include Biomatter, Cradle Bio, and Absci. In conjunction with the funding announcement, Imperagen named Guy Levy-Yurista as its new CEO. Levy-Yurista joins the company with a background in AI, life sciences, and enterprise technology. He expressed that current AI-powered technologies often struggle to transition from laboratory success to industrial scale. Imperagen's goal is to provide a solution that is faster, more reliable, and commercially accessible, helping businesses bring bio-based products to market without the traditional long timelines and uncertainty. While the original founders will remain with the company, Levy-Yurista will lead the strategy to build vertical AI infrastructure for biocatalysis and scale commercial partnerships. To date, Imperagen has raised £8.5 million ($11.42 million). The new capital will be allocated to hiring AI specialists, advancing research and development, expanding experimental lab capabilities, and establishing a go-to-market function within the next two years. The company aims to enable industries to produce cleaner, safer, and more effective products that are beneficial for both people and the planet while maintaining commercial viability for adopting companies.