Key points from article :
Basecamp Research, a London-based startup, has raised $60 million in Series B funding to build what it calls a “GPT for biology” — an advanced AI platform trained to understand DNA and biological systems with unprecedented depth. Led by co-founders Glen Gowers and Oliver Vince, both Oxford-trained biologists, the company is developing a foundational model called BaseFold, which it claims already outperforms DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 in predicting complex protein structures and small molecule interactions. The study has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but the project is drawing attention for its ambitious goals.
What sets Basecamp apart is its hands-on approach to data collection. Rather than relying solely on existing biological datasets — which are often outdated or incomplete — the company is traveling to extreme environments like volcanoes and hot springs to gather primary biodiversity data, using mobile DNA sequencing labs. This unique data pipeline is being used to train large AI models that can go beyond current scientific understanding and tackle unanswered questions in drug discovery, protein design, and biotechnology.
The company has over 100 global partners, including Procter & Gamble and sustainable dye innovator Colorifix, who are already applying the AI to real-world problems. It is also working in a long-term collaboration with the Broad Institute and Dr. David R. Liu on novel fusion proteins for genetic medicine.
While Basecamp’s platform may one day become publicly accessible, the current focus is on B2B partnerships in biopharma and research. Backers say the company’s technology has the potential to uncover biological insights that researchers have not even thought to ask, offering a new frontier in predictive biology and drug design.
