Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, has teamed up with Siddhartha Mukherjee, a renowned cancer researcher and author, to launch Manas AI, an AI-driven drug discovery startup. The company has just secured $24.6 million in seed funding from notable investors, including Hoffman himself, General Catalyst, and Greylock.

Manas AI is setting its sights on tackling breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Unlike some of its competitors in the AI drug discovery space, the company’s funding is relatively modest. For instance, Xaira, another AI drug development startup, launched last year with a staggering $1 billion in funding, while Treeline Biosciences raised $422 million.

The startup plans to use AI to design potential drug molecules, which will then be tested in a wet lab. Hoffman shared this detail during the unveiling of his latest book, “Superagency.” Manas AI will also leverage Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and the tech giant’s AI expertise to speed up the development of new medicines.

Hoffman’s connection to Microsoft runs deep. The company famously acquired LinkedIn, which he co-founded, in a massive $26.2 billion deal back in 2016.

While Manas AI’s funding may seem small compared to its peers, the startup’s focus on combining AI with traditional lab testing could pave the way for innovative treatments in the fight against cancer.

Stay tuned for more updates on how Manas AI plans to revolutionize drug discovery!