# Menten AI

**Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/menten-ai  
**Vertical:** Healthcare  
**Subcategory:** General  
**Tier:** Emerging  
**Website:** menten.ai  
**Last Updated:** 2026-04-14

## Summary

SF YC W20 AI cyclic peptide drug discovery with Bristol Myers Squibb collaboration May 2024; $4.15M Khosla/Uncork/Feld-backed using ML+quantum computing for peptide optimization competing with Relay Therapeutics for pharma licensing.

## Company Overview

Menten AI is a San Francisco-based AI drug discovery company — backed by Y Combinator (W20) with $4.15 million in total funding from Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Uncork Capital, Feld Ventures, Mana Ventures, Quain Investments, Society Health, and Volpini Ventures — developing peptide and protein therapeutics using machine learning and quantum computing to design novel cyclic peptide drug candidates for pharmaceutical licensing partnerships, completing a research collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb in May 2024. Founded in 2018, Menten AI applies advanced AI algorithms for cyclic peptide optimization and protein structure design with a business model centered on licensing proprietary algorithms and drug candidates to pharma partners rather than developing therapeutics through full clinical development.

Menten AI's AI peptide design platform addresses the molecular optimization challenge in macrocyclic peptide drug discovery: cyclic peptides (peptides where the chain forms a ring structure rather than a linear sequence) have emerged as a promising drug modality that bridges small molecules (cell-permeable, bioavailable) and biologics (can engage large, flat protein-protein interaction surfaces undruggable by small molecules) — but their design is computationally difficult because the ring conformational space is exponentially larger than linear peptide space, and predicting which conformations will achieve target binding affinity and membrane permeability requires advanced computational methods. Menten AI's ML models (predicting cyclic peptide binding to target proteins, membrane permeability, metabolic stability, and pharmacokinetic properties) accelerate the design-make-test cycle for cyclic peptide drug discovery by predicting which candidates will succeed before expensive synthesis and testing.

In 2025, Menten AI competes in the AI drug discovery, cyclic peptide therapeutics, and computational chemistry market with PepGen (cyclic peptide therapeutics, NASDAQ: PEPG, $300M raised), Aileron Therapeutics (stapled peptides, NASDAQ: ALRN), and Relay Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RLAY, computational drug design, $700M raised) for pharmaceutical partner AI-assisted cyclic peptide drug candidate licensing and computational design collaboration adoption. Khosla Ventures' and Uncork Capital's investments reflect deep-tech drug discovery conviction. The Bristol Myers Squibb collaboration (BMS is a top-5 global pharmaceutical company with $45B+ revenue) validates Menten AI's platform quality for industry-grade peptide design. Y Combinator W20 backing positions Menten AI within the computational biology and AI drug discovery investment community. The 2025 strategy focuses on advancing the pipeline of cyclic peptide candidates for oncology and infectious disease targets, building the quantum computing-enhanced conformational sampling for improved prediction accuracy, and expanding the pharma partnership model with additional top-20 pharmaceutical company collaborations.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Menten AI?
Menten AI is a healthcare technology company that develops peptide and protein therapeutics using machine learning and quantum computing to accelerate drug discovery and development. Founded in 2018 and backed by Y Combinator (W20), the San Francisco-based company specializes in applying advanced AI algorithms for cyclic peptide optimization and protein design.

### What products and services does Menten AI offer?
Menten AI offers peptide therapeutic design, quantum computing drug discovery, machine learning protein design, cyclic peptide optimization, and AI-powered drug development services. The company licenses its proprietary algorithms and drug candidates to pharmaceutical partners.

### Who are Menten AI's target customers?
Menten AI's target customers are pharmaceutical companies and partners in the drug development industry. The company operates through a business model centered on licensing proprietary algorithms and drug candidates to these pharmaceutical partners.

### When was Menten AI founded?
Menten AI was founded in 2018. The company was part of Y Combinator's Winter 2020 (W20) batch.

### Where is Menten AI located?
Menten AI is based in San Francisco, California.

### How much funding has Menten AI raised and who are its investors?
Menten AI has raised between $4.15 million and $4.36 million in total funding. Investors include Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Uncork Capital, Feld Ventures, Mana Ventures, Quain Investments, Society Health, and Volpini Ventures.

### What are Menten AI's key achievements?
Menten AI completed a research collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb in May 2024 and joined the Ginkgo Technology Network in 2024. The company has also successfully raised over $4 million from prominent venture capital firms.

### What technology approach does Menten AI use?
Menten AI combines quantum computing and machine learning for drug discovery, with a focus on cyclic peptides. The company applies advanced AI algorithms for cyclic peptide optimization and protein design to accelerate therapeutic development.

### How does Menten AI generate revenue?
Menten AI generates revenue through licensing fees, milestone payments, and royalties from pharmaceutical partners. The business model centers on licensing proprietary algorithms and drug candidates.

### What are Menten AI's most recent developments?
Menten AI completed a research collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb in May 2024 and joined the Ginkgo Technology Network in 2024. The company continues to focus on quantum computing and machine learning applications for drug discovery with emphasis on cyclic peptides.

## Tags

healthtech, saas, north-america, b2b

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*Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*