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Latest Trends in AI for Science: Insights from Pangaea's Report

Pangaea Inc., based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, has recently published a comprehensive market research report titled "AI for Science/Lab-in-the-loop Research Trends Analysis 2026". This report provides an insightful analysis of 60 global startups that are pioneering the integration of AI into drug discovery, particularly focusing on the evolving field of AI for Science and Lab-in-the-loop technologies.

The Evolution of AI in Scientific Research

In recent years, AI has rapidly transitioned from predictive capabilities to generative models, evolving into a new research paradigm known as "Lab-in-the-loop". This innovative approach creates a feedback loop between data generation and model enhancement via AI and robotics. Such advancements have led to the understanding that the successful scaling principles that apply to large language models (LLMs) are also relevant for other types of data, including proteins, genomes, cells, and pathologies. Consequently, large baseline models are being developed in various domains.

Executive Summary of the Report

The report reveals crucial trends by analyzing 60 startups dedicated to AI for Science and Lab-in-the-loop in the drug discovery domain:

1. Active Funding Landscape: The analysis of these 60 companies by year of establishment and cumulative fundraising indicates significant funding activity, especially during the years 2015 to 2024, exceeding the average of about 5,400 registered companies, signifying a buoyant capital inflow in this sector.

2. Global Competitive Landscape: The report indicates that the U.S. is home to 38 of the analyzed companies (63%), followed by the U.K. with 7 (12%) and China with 5 (8%). There’s fierce competition among initiatives such as Genesis Mission (USA), AI+ (China), and RAISE (Europe), coupled with the formation of international collaborations that network automated labs across multiple regions.

3. Technical Trends: The startups are categorized into three technological waves: "Lab-in-the-loop (autonomous labs)", "building large baseline models", and "AI agents that substitute scientists' operations". Currently, most companies focus on constructing baseline models, yet there's an anticipated increase in companies tackling challenges across multiple categories in the future.

4. Data Strategies: The findings illustrate a dual approach where companies either hoard proprietary data as a competitive advantage or openly share their data under non-commercial licenses. Therefore, the distinction of what constitutes the pre-competitive realm is expected to evolve continuously.

5. Rise of AI for Scientific Substitution: Companies like FutureHouse/Edison Scientific with Robin (Kosmos) and Google's Co-Scientist are enabling AI to autonomously undertake literature reviews, hypothesis generation, experimental planning, and data analysis. While challenges like the accuracy of experimental protocol generation persist, it is evident that scientists’ roles will inevitably shift.

6. Pipeline Focus: Within the reported 153 products, nearly 50% are small molecule compounds, prominently targeting cancer and the immune system, which accounts for approximately 50% of the disease areas. Notably, around 20% have entered clinical trial phases and human administrations are beginning.

7. Cross-Industry Entries Accelerated: Partnerships with non-drug discovery companies like NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Microsoft are becoming frequent, alongside acquisitions such as Anthropic's purchase of Coefficient Bio to enter the sector.

Advanced Analysis via Collectio Database

The data for the report was derived from Pangaea’s proprietary database, Collectio, which encompasses detailed information about around 5,400 biotech companies engaged in drug discovery and holds data on their pipelines, modalities, and foundational technologies. Specializing in evaluating foundational technologies, Pangaea's expert team meticulously reviews startups' academic papers and patent information.

In this study, Pangaea closely examined the publications and patents of the 60 startups in the AI for Science and Lab-in-the-loop sphere, evaluating each company’s foundational technological approaches, including autonomous experiments via the Vision-Language-Lab-Action model (Medra AI), a biological baseline model based on genomic biodiversity data (Basecamp Research), and autonomous drug discovery hypothesis exploration using multi-agent AI (Edison Scientific).

Access to Full Report

A portion of the report is currently available for free on Pangaea’s website. The freely available version contains limited content; however, a comprehensive report with in-depth analysis, offered as a PDF, can be requested for free through the company’s website.

This report will serve as a valuable resource for academic research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and emerging biotech startups seeking to keep abreast of cutting-edge developments or explore partnerships in the field.

How to Request the Report

To obtain the full report, please fill out the contact form on Pangaea's website with the note "Request for AI for Science Report." Please be aware that certain entities, such as consulting pharmaceutical companies, may be ineligible to receive the report due to competition concerns.

About Pangaea Inc.

Pangaea is dedicated to enhancing research creativity, supporting drug discovery researchers by providing a unique database of information on biotechnological companies worldwide. The company offers data services through its platform Collectio and provides tailored biotech research inquiry services to pharmaceutical companies, startups, CROs, and research institutions.
With an aim to maximize efficiency in data collection and deepen engagement in cutting-edge technologies, Pangaea seeks to enable drug discovery researchers to focus on innovative ideas while aligning their research with the latest advancements.

• - Headquarters: 3-8-3 Nihonbashi Hommachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
• - CEO: Yuki Yokokawa
• - Founded: September 2018
• - Services: Information provision on drug discovery and biotech research analysis
• - Website: https://www.pangaea.tokyo/