Apoha Secures $36M in Funding to Transform Molecular Analysis
London-based Apoha, a startup focused on innovating molecular analysis, has raised $36 million in a funding round led by Singular. This investment aims to commercialize a platform that quantifies how molecules and materials behave in the real world—a previously unmeasured area in the industry.
Founded by Shamit Shrivastava and Anshika Srivastava, a husband-and-wife team, Apoha’s technology is already being utilized by pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim. The platform has demonstrated an impressive ability to identify high-risk antibody candidates with over 90% accuracy using just 8 micrograms of material.
The biophysical assays market, which stands at $3.8 billion in 2025, is expected to grow to $7.9 billion by 2034, according to data from Dataintelo. This growth signals a promising future for technology that enhances drug discovery and development.
Closing the Gap in Molecular Data
While artificial intelligence (AI) has made strides in understanding language and images, it has struggled to accurately measure materials. This gap costs the pharmaceutical sector significant amounts each year due to failures in late-stage clinical trials. Apoha aims to bridge this gap.
Shamit Shrivastava, who serves as the CEO, is a biophysicist with extensive research experience. He started exploring a complex problem in physics years ago, leading to groundbreaking discoveries that have gained recognition in scientific circles. His wife, Anshika, is the COO and previously held a significant role at Goldman Sachs. Together, the duo combines expertise in science and finance to tackle some of the most challenging issues in the biotech field.
Innovative Technology for Drug Development
Apoha’s VIBE® assay is a game changer in biophysics. It uses just a tiny sample, suspends it in liquid, applies various stresses, and then captures the resulting responses to create over 1,000 behavioral descriptors within minutes. Unlike traditional methods that focus on one property at a time, Apoha can provide a comprehensive readout, helping drug companies identify potential issues long before clinical trials.
Collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim has shown that Apoha can spot high-risk candidates effectively, surpassing 12 standard tests in accuracy. The company also partners with various organizations, including Ethris and THIS, as well as several Fortune 500 firms.
Support from Investors
Singular has led this latest funding effort, with additional participation from Draper Associates, alongside previous investors like Redalpine and Seedcamp. Raffi Kamber, co-founder of Singular, highlighted Apoha’s pioneering role in modernizing scientific approaches in Europe.
Navigating Competition
Apoha faces competition from contract biophysics providers and scientific data platforms, but its unique simultaneous profiling offers a distinct advantage. As the global market for biophysical assays continues to expand, Apoha is strategically positioned to capitalize on this growth.
As this husband-and-wife team moves forward, they aim to establish Apoha as a key player in the biotechnology space, helping to reshape how molecular behavior data is utilized in scientific research. Their journey showcases the intersection of advanced science and commercial ambition, making headlines in London’s thriving tech scene.
