Formation Bio

Formation Bio

AI-driven platform accelerates clinical-stage drug development

Overview

Formation Bio uses an AI-driven platform to speed up drug development by focusing on clinical-stage assets. It acquires and advances these assets using flexible financing structures, aiming to shorten timelines and cut costs for bringing new drugs to market. The core product is the proprietary AI tools that help with drug selection, development planning, and improving overall efficiency, enabling partnerships and successful commercialization with pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Compared with competitors, Formation Bio combines a data-powered approach with adaptable financing and asset acquisition strategies to move assets forward quickly and cost-effectively. The goal is to make treatments more accessible and affordable by accelerating development and enabling faster, more predictable commercialization through AI-enhanced decision making and flexible funding options.

About Formation Bio

Simplify's Rating
Why Formation Bio is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

AI & Machine Learning

Biotechnology

Healthcare

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series D

Total Funding

$530.3M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2013

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • June 2025 Series D raised $372 million, supporting pipeline expansion and platform buildout.
  • June 2026 BLKR201 entered Phase 1 five months after in-licensing, showing execution speed.
  • Formation Bio licensed IMIDomics anti-CD226 and Lynk BLKR201, broadening autoimmune assets.

What critics are saying

  • BLKR201 is first-in-human only; failure before early-2027 readout would damage platform claims.
  • Formation Bio depends on partners like Sanofi, Lynk, and IMIDomics for pipeline supply.
  • If gusacitinib or BLKR201 disappoint, the company becomes an expensive asset-flipping story.

What makes Formation Bio unique

  • Formation Bio pairs AI trial design with asset acquisitions and in-licensing.
  • Sanofi and OpenAI partnered with Formation Bio in June 2025 on AI drug development.
  • Michael Ehlers joined July 2026, adding Biogen and Pfizer R&D credibility.

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Funding

Total Funding

$530.3M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

3 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series D funding is typically for companies that are already well-established but need more funding to continue their growth. This round is often used to stabilize the company or prepare for an IPO.
Series D Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$77M
$70M
Twilio
$80M
Handshake
$100M
Affirm
$372M
Formation Bio

Benefits

Company Equity

Remote Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-1%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
PR Newswire
Jul 22nd, 2026
Formation Bio appoints Michael Ehlers as CSO to lead R&D strategy

Formation Bio has appointed Michael D. Ehlers as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D. Ehlers will oversee portfolio strategy and advancement, from translational sciences through clinical development, and guide the scientific direction of Formation Bio's AI platform. Ehlers joins from MPM BioImpact, where he was an Entrepreneur Partner. He previously served as Executive Vice President of R&D at Biogen and held senior positions at Pfizer. Throughout his career, programmes under his leadership have produced six approved drugs spanning five indications and four drug modalities, with more than 40 programmes advanced into the clinic. Formation Bio is an AI-native pharma company that acquires clinical-stage assets and accelerates them through development using its proprietary AI platform.

PR Newswire
Jun 9th, 2025
Formation Bio Announces First Class Of Entrepreneurs In Residence To Drive Pipeline Growth And Strategic Partnerships

NEW YORK, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Formation Bio, an AI-driven pharmaceutical company focused on accelerating drug development, today announced the appointment of its first class of Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs): Kia Motesharei, Ph.D., Minji Kim Ph.D, MBA, John Taylor, M.S., and Anthony S. Walsh, D.Phil, These seasoned dealmakers will work closely with Chief Business Officer David Steinberg to expand the company's business development capabilities and further its mission to bring high-potential treatments to patients faster. Formation Bio acquires and in-licenses promising drug assets, advancing them through critical development milestones (Phase II and beyond), and then out-licensing for further advancement. The company's AI platform supports this lifecycle end-to-end—from asset identification and development strategy to execution of clinical trials aimed at greater speed and higher probability of success

Intelligence360 News
Jul 18th, 2024
Trialspark Dba Formation Bio Has Filed A Notice Of An Exempt Offering Of Securities To Raise $372,000,000.00 In New Equity Investment.

TrialSpark dba Formation Bio has filed a notice of an exempt offering of securities to raise $372,000,000.00 in New Equity Investment. TrialSpark dba Formation Bio has filed a notice of an exempt offering of securities to raise $372,000,000.00 in New Equity Investment.According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, TrialSpark dba Formation Bio is raising up to $372,000,000.00 in new funding. Sources indicate that as part of senior management Chief Executive Officer, Benjamine Liu played a key role in securing the recent investment and it will aid in aggressively expanding the company, as well as broaden and accelerate product development.About TrialSpark dba Formation BioFormation Bio is a tech-driven pharmaceutical company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. Formation Bio has built a technology platform that optimizes critical aspects of clinical drug development, enabling more efficient trial design, faster trial completion, and higher quality trial data. The company acquires clinical-stage drugs from pharmaceutical and biotech companies with the goal to develop them faster in order to accelerate access to new treatments for patients, and to unlock greater value per program.To learn more about TrialSpark dba Formation Bio, visit http://www.formation.bio/TrialSpark dba Formation Bio Linkedin Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formationbio/Contact:Benjamine Liu, Chief Executive Officer866-283-7544https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamine-liu-54306518/SOURCE: http://www.intelligence360.ioCopyright (c) 2024 SI360 Inc

FinSMEs
Jun 26th, 2024
Formation Bio Raises $372M in Series D Funding

Formation Bio, a NYC-based tech-driven and AI-native pharma company, raised $372M in Series D funding

HIT Consultant
May 21st, 2024
Sanofi, Formation Bio, Openai Partner On Ai-Powered Drug Discovery

What You Should Know:– Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical leader, Formation Bio, an AI-powered drug developer, and OpenAI, a leading research and development company in artificial intelligence, have announced a groundbreaking collaboration. The first-of-its-kind partnership in the pharma and life sciences industries aims to leverage AI to accelerate drug development and bring new medicines to patients faster.– Sanofi, Formation Bio, and OpenAI believe this collaboration will be a game-changer in the pharmaceutical industry. By combining their expertise in data, AI technology, and drug development, they aim to revolutionize the way new medicines are discovered and brought to market.A Symphony of ExpertiseThe collaboration will combine the unique strengths of each partner:Sanofi: Will contribute proprietary data for building custom AI models, furthering their goal of becoming the first biopharma company powered by AI at scale. This data will be crucial for training and refining the AI tools used in drug discovery.Will contribute proprietary data for building custom AI models, furthering their goal of becoming the first biopharma company powered by AI at scale. This data will be crucial for training and refining the AI tools used in drug discovery. OpenAI: World-renowned for its advancements in AI technology, OpenAI will contribute access to cutting-edge AI capabilities

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