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Orakl Oncology, a French startup focused on changing the face of cancer drug development, has secured €11 million in seed funding. Singular led the investment round with contributions from Bpifrance, including the Grand Prix i Lab, and other existing investors. The funding will accelerate the launch of its AI-powered solutions, O-Predict and O-Validate, and strengthen partnerships with pharmaceutical companies.
Founded in 2023 as a spin-off from the illustrious Gustave Roussy Institute, Orakl Oncology is positioned to address one of the critical bottlenecks in the development of oncology drugs-that is, the high failure rates of clinical trials. Based on the company’s report, only 4% of candidates reach patients, often because their predictions are wrong and data is fragmented. Orakl’s approach combines machine learning, advanced cell biology, and engineering to create patient avatars that simulate real-world drug responses, providing drug developers with powerful insights into clinical trial outcomes, therapeutic targets, and optimal drug combinations.
The mission of the company, as told by Dr. Fanny Jaulin, CEO and Co-Founder of Orakl Oncology, is to “revolutionize drug development by offering an unparalleled decision-making platform that empowers drug developers to de-risk clinical trials and expedite the availability of transformative medicines.” She added that Orakl focuses on addressing unmet needs in digestive cancers, specifically colorectal and pancreatic cancers, which are areas in desperate need of innovation. The company feels that its technology “has the potential to redefine the future of precision medicine, leading to much-needed breakthroughs for patients.”.
Orakl’s flagship products, O-Predict and O-Validate, support and accelerate oncology drug development. O-Predict enables drug developers to predict patient responses, evaluate the efficacy of new drugs, and design combination therapies. O-Validate provides robust biological evidence to validate therapeutic targets and support data-driven decisions throughout the drug development process.
Orakl’s new approach puts the company as an important partner for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to gain better success in their clinical trials. With Orakl, it would give insights to pharmaceutical companies regarding how well drugs would perform even before the actual clinical trial process, thereby allowing pharmaceutical companies to optimize their pipelines and decrease the risks of expensive failures.
Orakl was further praised by Prof. Fabrice Barlesi, general director of Gustave Roussy. As the European leading cancer center and a pioneer in precision medicine, the company is proud to support the work of Orakl, which develops ex vivo patient avatars to accelerate therapeutic decisions and next-generation therapies for the discovery of novel treatments. The high-profile endorsements reflect the major role Orakl’s technology plays in leading cancer treatment improvements.
The capital raised in this round will enable Orakl to expand its business team and form strategic alliances in the clinical oncology marketplace. Among the key recruits is Jessica Atkinson, formerly an executive at Merck and Foundation Medicine, joining as Business Advisor. Her input will be invaluable in building partnership with pharmaceutical companies, which forms the core of Orakl’s growth and success.
Jeremy Uzan, General Partner at Singular, expressed his confidence in Orakl’s potential, highlighting the team’s strong expertise in cancer research, cell biology, and computational biology. “Orakl’s team is uniquely positioned to drive progress in oncology with its deep scientific foundation and clear business focus. We are excited to support them in their mission,” Uzan said.
The Orakl funding journey started off with a €3 million pre-seed investment in 2023, led by Speedinvest, with contributions also from HCVC and Verve Ventures. With the help of contributions from the Fondation Jean-Jacques et Felicia Lopez Loreta pour l’Excellence Scientifique, Orakl has, to date, raised close to €15 million.
The company’s novel application of machine learning and cell biology to predict the outcomes of clinical trials, and to optimize drug combinations for the best possible treatment effect, is a major step toward more effective cancer treatments. Orakl is set to make a significant impact in the future of oncology and precision medicine by offering an AI-powered platform that helps drug developers navigate the complexities of clinical trials.
As Orakl continues to grow and perfect its platform, the company will be contributing a lasting impact to cancer drug development. By targeting these main issues of clinical trial failure rates and lengthy drug development timelines, Orakl will be poised to help speed the availability of new treatments to patients in need.
