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§ Private Profile · Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Precision oncology platform testing tumor responses to cancer drugs using 3D cell culture and AI, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
Known Medicine has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Known Medicine.
Known Medicine was founded in 2020 by Andrea Mazzocchi (Founder) and Katie-Rose Skelly (Founder).
Known Medicine has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Known Medicine, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, develops a platform that integrates 3D cell culture with artificial intelligence to predict patient tumor responses to cancer drugs. The company's process involves breaking down patient tumors into micro-tumors, treating them with various agents, and applying machine learning to imaging and -omics data to identify predictive biomarkers. This approach is designed to help oncologists select optimal treatments faster and provides valuable insights for pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms in their drug discovery and development efforts. Known Medicine operates with a team of 17 employees and has received investment from Y Combinator and seven other firms. The organization was founded in 2020. The firm focuses on oncology and cancer treatment, serves oncologists, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and research institutions.
Known Medicine has raised $7.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Seed in August 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2021 | $7M Seed | Caffeinated Capital | AngelList Syndicator, Backed VC, Champion Hill Labs, Dimension Capital, Kindred Capital VC, M Ventures, Andy Chung, Charlie Songhurst, TOM Mcinerney, Chris Gibson, Nish Bhat, Cota Capital, Forward VC, Khosla Ventures, Kickstart Seed Fund, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Y Combinator | Announced |
Key people at Known Medicine.
Known Medicine was founded in 2020 by Andrea Mazzocchi (Founder) and Katie-Rose Skelly (Founder).
Known Medicine has raised $7.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Known Medicine's investors include Caffeinated Capital, AngelList Syndicator, Backed VC, Champion Hill Labs, Dimension Capital, Kindred Capital VC, M Ventures (Merck), Andy Chung, Charlie Songhurst, Tom McInerney, Chris Gibson, Nish Bhat.
Known Medicine is a pioneering company that combines advanced 3D cell culture technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance drug discovery and improve the translation of drug candidates into clinical success. Their platform leverages 3D cell models—such as organoids and spheroids—that more accurately mimic human tissue environments compared to traditional 2D cultures, enabling better prediction of drug efficacy and toxicity. By integrating AI-driven analytics, Known Medicine accelerates drug screening, optimizes candidate selection, and reduces costly late-stage failures in clinical trials.
For an investment firm, Known Medicine’s mission centers on transforming drug development through innovative biotechnology and AI, focusing on sectors like precision medicine, oncology, and regenerative therapies. Their investment philosophy likely emphasizes cutting-edge technologies that bridge preclinical and clinical gaps, supporting startups that advance human-relevant models and computational tools. This approach impacts the startup ecosystem by fostering innovation in drug discovery platforms that reduce reliance on animal models and improve patient-specific therapies.
For a portfolio company, Known Medicine builds a drug discovery platform that serves pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and research institutions. It solves the critical problem of poor clinical translation by providing more predictive, scalable, and cost-effective preclinical models. The company’s growth momentum is driven by increasing adoption of 3D culture systems and AI in pharma R&D, regulatory encouragement for alternative testing methods, and the urgent need to reduce drug development attrition rates[1][2][3][5].
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Known Medicine was founded by experts in cell biology, bioengineering, and computational science who recognized the limitations of traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models in drug development. The idea emerged from academic and industry research demonstrating that 3D cell cultures better replicate the tumor microenvironment and human tissue physiology, combined with AI’s potential to analyze complex biological data for predictive insights. Early traction came from successful collaborations with pharmaceutical partners who validated the platform’s ability to predict drug responses more accurately than conventional methods, marking pivotal moments that established credibility and market fit[1][4].
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Known Medicine rides the wave of 3D cell culture and AI integration in drug discovery, a trend driven by the urgent need to close the translational gap between preclinical models and human clinical outcomes. The timing is critical as regulatory agencies increasingly support alternative testing methods that reduce animal use and improve patient relevance, while pharmaceutical companies seek to lower attrition rates and development costs. Market forces favor technologies that offer better predictive power, scalability, and ethical advantages. Known Medicine influences the ecosystem by accelerating the shift toward more human-relevant, data-driven drug development paradigms, fostering innovation in personalized medicine and precision oncology[1][2][3][4][7].
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Looking ahead, Known Medicine is poised to expand its platform capabilities by incorporating more complex tissue models and refining AI algorithms for deeper biological insights. Trends such as regulatory endorsement of alternative models, growing demand for personalized therapies, and advances in microfluidics and organ-on-chip technologies will shape its trajectory. The company’s influence is likely to grow as it helps pharma reduce late-stage failures and develop safer, more effective drugs faster. Ultimately, Known Medicine exemplifies the convergence of biotechnology and AI to transform drug discovery, fulfilling the promise of translating lab innovations into clinical success.