Bertis lands $2.23M government grant to build AI drug-target platform
What's the deal? South Korean proteomics company Bertis has secured a government research and development grant of US$2.52M (roughly $2.23 million) to advance its AI-based drug-target discovery platform. The funding comes through the "Scale-up TIPS specialised" programme, run by the Ministry of SMEs and StartupsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs.
How it works: The grant runs for three years, through August 2029. Bertis was recommended by Samsung Venture InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and chosen after a competitive evaluation.
What's the endgame? The money funds development of SURF, Bertis's platform that combines proteomic analysis and AI to find new targets among proteins on the cell surface. Those surface proteins matter for antibody-based therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific antibodies, which bind to specific proteins to attack cancer cells.
Bertis plans to build a surface-proteome database across various cancer cell types, validate new target candidates, and package them with binding data for global pharmaceutical firms. It aims to identify target combinations usable in bispecific and multispecific antibody development.
Why now? As ADC development expands, drugmakers are hunting for new cancer-cell surface proteins beyond known targets. Many ADC candidates concentrate on a handful of targets such as HER2 and TROP2, making differentiated discovery a key task for future drug development.
By the numbers: The grant sits in the lower band of disclosed funding events — a modest sum that reflects its nature as a government R&D award rather than a venture round.
Bertis first unveiled SURF in July at the "MSD Health Innovation Summit," co-hosted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Korea MSDDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, where it was selected by the judging panel. The company says the grant will strengthen its data production and validation capabilities and widen opportunities for joint research and technology licensing.
"The surface proteome is a core area for next-generation therapeutics and one of the fields the global pharmaceutical industry is watching most closely," said Han Seung-man, chief executive officer of Bertis. He added that the company aims to "take the lead in the surface-proteome-based drug-target discovery market."
The signal: Government-backed R&D money is flowing to Korean biotech firms working at the intersection of proteomics and AI, positioning them as suppliers of validated targets to larger drugmakers chasing the next wave of antibody therapies.
Read more: edaily.co.kr
Image credit: NIDCR
