Venture-backed biotech company RevolKa has closed a Series A extension funding round, amassing Y250m ($1.7m) to expedite drug discovery programmes.

D3 LLC and DEEPCORE co-led the funding round.

This capital injection is set to accelerate the company's drug discovery and development initiatives, leveraging its aiProtein technology.

The technology integrates AI with directed protein evolution, producing high-performance proteins that surpass natural evolutionary capabilities.

It represents a breakthrough in the biotech sector, offering a solution for developing proteins with enhanced biological functions.

The technology has already shown promising results, with some drug candidates achieving positive in vitro proof-of-concept.

aiProtein operates by evolving proteins that have naturally developed over millions of years.

The proteins are complex molecules that fold into specific structures to perform biological functions.

However, understanding the intricate relationship between a protein's sequence, structure and function remains a significant challenge in designing proteins for targeted uses.

RevolKa's AI engine is designed to predict sequences for evolved protein functions based on sequence-function relationship data.

aiProtein can evolve multiple functions simultaneously, marking a significant advancement in the field. This capability makes it a potent and cost-effective tool for creating new proteins for both pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

The latest development comes after RevolKa entered into a joint research agreement with a medical research institution focusing on rare diseases.

Using the partnership between RevolKa's drug candidates created by aiProtein and the pharmaceutical research and development abilities of the institution, joint research and development of new treatments will commence for congenital rare diseases which currently have no treatment.