Transforming drug discovery with generative AI
Founded in 2019, Variational AI is pioneering a new era of small molecule drug discovery by leveraging a powerful new form of machine learning known as generative AI. Our mission is to redefine the unit economics of drug discovery, enabling biopharma partners to bring novel therapeutics to patients faster and more cost-effectively.
From oncology to other high-need therapeutic areas, we are working hand-in-hand with industry partners to unlock new chemical space and accelerate the path to novel therapies.
Evolving at the intersection of AI and drug discovery
We are a cross-disciplinary team of machine learning researchers, computational chemists, and biotech professionals working at the intersection of AI and early drug discovery.
Our Team
Handol Kim
Co-Founder & CEO
Jason Rolfe, PhD
Co-Founder & CTO
Ali Saberali, PhD
Co-Founder & Head of Platform
Peter Guzzo, PhD
EVP, Head of Drug Discovery
Roslynn Drewitt-Lange
VP, Finance & Operations
Ahmad Issa, PhD
Senior Machine Learning Scientist
Marshall Drew-Brook
Principal Machine Learning Engineer
Sara Ibrahim Omar, PhD
Computational Chemist
Alex Perryman, PhD
Principal Scientist
Brian Atwood, PhD
Scientific Project Manager
Matthew Quenneville, PhD
Machine Learning Scientist
James McSally, PhD
Computational Chemist
Yizhou Zhang, PhD
Machine Learning Scientist
Jérôme Rony, PhD
Machine Learning Scientist
Andrew Stirn, PhD
Machine Learning Scientist
Valentin Beuchillot
Senior Manager BD & Marketing
Nathania Takyi, MSc
Chemistry Data Analyst
Boards of Directors
Frank Chang
Managing Partner, Flying Fish Partner
Handol Kim
CEO, Variational AI
Hanqing Li
Investment Director, Merck GHIF
Jason Robertson
CEO, Nimbus Synergies
Jason Rolfe, PHD
CTO, Variational AI
Scientific Advisory Board / Advisors
John Boylan, PHD
SAB Member (Cell Biology/Oncology drug discovery)
Artem Cherkasov, PHD
SAB Member (Cheminformatics)
Alexander Tropsha, PHD
SAB Member (Cheminformatics)
Robert N. Young, PHD
SAB Member (Medicinal Chemistry)
Todd Farrell
Advisor (Strategy)
Jennifer Hamilton, PHD
Advisor (Strategy/Commercial)
Nancy Harrison
Advisor (Strategy/ Commercial)
Variational AI is backed by top-tier investors in healthcare, life sciences, and artificial intelligence.
Our investors include: Nimbus Synergies, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Flying Fish Ventures, A&E Investments, Nepenthe Capital, and an alliance of Angel investors. This support fuels the continued development of our generative AI platform, Enki, and strengthens our ability to collaborate with biopharma partners across therapeutic areas.
Looking to contact us? Reach out for more information