Superluminal
Healthspan
AI/structural-biology GPCR drug-discovery company (predict-design-test engine); lead oral MC4R obesity drug entering Phase 1, Eli Lilly collaboration worth up to $1.3B.
Superluminal Medicines integrates structural biology, protein dynamics and machine learning to create candidate-ready compounds against membrane-protein (GPCR) targets, through a 'predict-design-test' architecture that models protein shapes and designs selective compounds with in-silico PK/tox prediction. Its lead program is an oral MC4R agonist for rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity, heading into Phase 1. The company has five GPCR programs at lead optimisation and an August 2025 collaboration with Eli Lilly applying its platform to undisclosed cardiometabolic and obesity targets, worth up to $1.3B in milestones. Total venture financing is about $213M across seed, Series A and a $60M Series B (Sept 2026, led by BVF Partners).
Research mapping
Healthspan / Intervene (AI) / B
Evidence boundary
Original analysis and independent corroboration remain under development. Commercial scale and durable technical advantage remain under review.
What makes it defensible
Combines protein dynamics and ML to generate candidate-ready GPCR compounds fast — externally validated by an Eli Lilly collaboration worth up to $1.3B.
Position in the stack: AI-native drug-discovery platform developing its own GPCR pipeline while licensing the discovery engine to pharma (Eli Lilly collaboration).
Who buys it
Founding team
Cony D'Cruz — Co-founder & CEO — Former EVP & Chief Business Officer at Schrodinger; ex-President of Proteros; ex-SVP North America BD at Evotec
Ajay Yekkirala — Co-founder & CSO — PhD pharmacology (University of Minnesota); postdoc at Harvard Medical School; co-founded Blue Therapeutics; ex-RA Capital
SourceFinancing detail
- Last round
- Series B
Investors: BVF (lead); Perceptive; Deep Track; RA Capital; Insight Partners; NVIDIA Ventures; Eli Lilly
Mapped funds and investors
Direct relationships supported by published evidence.
Reported holdings as-of
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Disclosed investment history
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Showing up to four relationships in each group. ETF weights describe the fund’s portfolio, not ownership of this company. Private investment history does not establish current ownership.
Evidence & media
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Superluminal Medicines Announces Oversubscribed $60 Million Series B Financing
What this source supports: Company press release: $60M oversubscribed Series B led by BVF Partners with Deep Track Capital and Perceptive Advisors; proceeds to advance the MC4R agonist into a Phase 1 trial by end-2026.
What it does not establish: No clinical data; the lead MC4R agonist remains preclinical; company-issued PDF only.
Source -
Superluminal raises $60m to advance rare obesity therapy
What this source supports: Trade press: $60M Series B to advance an oral biased MC4R agonist for rare genetic obesity (Bardet-Biedl, hypothalamic).
What it does not establish: No efficacy or safety data beyond preclinical; Phase 1 had not started at publication.
Source -
Superluminal Medicines raises $60 million to advance obesity drug into clinic
What this source supports: Boston business press corroborates the $60M Series B and the clinical-timeline framing.
What it does not establish: Repackages the raise; adds no financial or clinical detail beyond the announcement.
Source -
Superluminal Medicines — One to Watch (The Pharma Letter)
What this source supports: Profile: ~$213M raised to date (seed $33M 2023, Series A $120M 2024, Series B $60M 2026); Eli Lilly collaboration worth up to $1.3B; Hyperloop platform; five GPCR programs.
What it does not establish: Pipeline still at lead optimization; Lilly milestone payments unconfirmed; valuation not given.
Source
Timeline
-
Financing
Series B
Source