AI-Driven Therapeutics, an AI startup has been awarded the start-up prize of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). The Startup is a spin-off from the Faculty of Medicine at Leipzig University and ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig. The award, worth 7,000 euros, was presented in Berlin on March 19, 2025.

The protein design assistant from the Leipzig-based start-up is an AI-supported platform designed to work autonomously. Tasks that would normally take weeks can be so solved in a matter of hours. The program accesses large amounts of data and scientifically validated models. “To put it simply, we are developing a kind of ChatGPT for protein design. A platform that, by providing specific software tools, creates an independent co-scientist – a collegial partner who is more than just a tool.” Explains pharmaceutical scientist Fabian Liessmann. He is a PhD student at the Institute for Drug Development at the Medical Faculty and co-founder of AI-Driven Therapeutics.

Prof. Jens Meiler acted as the project’s professional mentor. He is Humboldt Professor at Leipzig University, Head of the Institute for Drug Development Leipzig and PI at ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig. Many of the scientific methods used by the start-up were developed by biochemist and Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Prof. David Baker, who is Jens Meiler’s post-doctoral advisor.

The AI-Driven Therapeutics team was supported by Leipzig University’s start-up initiative SMILE from the very beginning. Christian Hauke, SMILE employee and mentor of the start-up, says:

“This is a wonderful example of how the Leipzig ecosystem works together to create exciting start-ups. Cutting-edge research at the university, a supportive professor, motivated graduates and institutions like SMILE and ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig that accompany the first steps. We are all very happy about this award for AI-Driven Therapeutics.”