Biotech startup Imperagen secured £5 million ($6.7 million) in seed funding led by PXN Ventures to revolutionize enzyme engineering using quantum physics and AI. Founded in 2021 by Manchester Institute of Biotechnology scientists, the company aims to replace trial-and-error methods with faster, more efficient computational approaches that could transform pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and agriculture.

Imperagen's technology combines quantum physics-based simulation with custom AI models to predict enzyme behavior, generating millions of mutations computationally before experimental validation. Guy Levy-Yurista will assume the CEO role as the company scales its vertical AI infrastructure for biocatalysis. The founders remain involved while Levy-Yurista builds commercial models and industrial partnerships.

The fresh capital brings Imperagen's total funding to £8.5 million ($11.42 million), which will be used to hire AI specialists, expand lab capabilities, and develop a go-to-market function within two years. Current enzyme engineering fails at industrial scale, and Imperagen's approach could make bio-based product development faster and more reliable, addressing a critical bottleneck in multiple industries.