Artificial intelligence has transformed how machines understand language, images, and software, but one of the most important dimensions of the physical world remains largely invisible to computers: how matter actually behaves. Scientists can identify a molecule’s sequence and determine its structure, yet understanding how it reacts under real world conditions has historically been far more difficult. This gap creates uncertainty across industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and food production to advanced materials, where billion dollar decisions often rely on incomplete information. Deeptech startup Apoha believes it has found a solution, and the company is now emerging from stealth with significant funding to scale what it calls an entirely new category of scientific intelligence.
The company has announced $36 million in funding led by Singular, with participation from Draper Associates, founded by renowned investor Tim Draper.
The round also includes continued backing from Redalpine, Seedcamp, Wilbe, and Nucleus, alongside support from Innovate UK.
Introducing Liquid State Intelligence
Founded by Shamit Shrivastava and Anshika Srivastava, Apoha is developing what it describes as Liquid State Intelligence, a new scientific data layer focused on understanding molecular behaviour.
While molecular sequence explains what a molecule is and structure reveals its physical form, Apoha argues that behaviour represents a missing third dimension.
This behavioural information captures how molecules respond to changing conditions, interact with other substances, and perform in real world environments.
According to the company, creating this new category of data could transform scientific discovery and accelerate innovation across multiple industries.
A Scientific Breakthrough Years in the Making
The foundations of Apoha’s technology trace back to research begun in 2008 by Shrivastava.
His work focused on understanding physical interactions occurring at the boundary where matter meets liquids, an area that had remained poorly understood despite decades of scientific investigation.
Through this research, he discovered that these interfaces contain measurable information about how molecules respond to stress, interact with surrounding environments, and evolve over time.
The discovery later gained international recognition and has been cited extensively throughout the scientific community.
In 2021, Apoha was established to commercialise this research and transform it into a scalable technology platform.
Today, the company holds more than 60 patents spanning hardware, software, data systems, and artificial intelligence models.
Turning Molecular Behaviour Into Data
Apoha’s first commercial product is called VIBE, short for Variations in Inter facial Behaviour Under Excitation.
The platform analyses tiny samples suspended in liquid and subjects them to carefully controlled stresses.
As molecules react, they generate wave patterns that are captured and analysed in real time.
These measurements produce more than 1,000 behavioural descriptors that collectively create a detailed profile of how a molecule behaves under realistic conditions.
Unlike conventional testing methods that often measure individual characteristics separately, VIBE generates a comprehensive behavioural readout within minutes.
Applications Across Multiple Industries
The potential applications of this technology extend far beyond a single sector.
In pharmaceuticals, Apoha says its platform can identify high risk drug candidates early in development, potentially saving years of research and hundreds of millions of dollars in failed clinical programmes.
The company has already collaborated with major pharmaceutical partners including Boehringer Ingelheim, where joint research demonstrated the ability to identify problematic antibody candidates with high levels of accuracy.
Beyond healthcare, the technology is being used by companies developing food products and advanced materials.
Partnerships with organisations including Ethris and THIS highlight the platform’s versatility across industries where material behaviour influences commercial success.
Building the Future of Physical World AI
The newly raised capital will be used to expand Apoha’s Liquid State Intelligence platform and establish molecular behaviour as a foundational data category for next generation artificial intelligence systems.
The company believes future AI models will require deeper understanding of physical matter in order to drive autonomous scientific discovery and real world innovation.
As AI increasingly moves beyond digital environments and into biology, chemistry, manufacturing, and materials science, Apoha is positioning itself as a key provider of the behavioural data needed to power that transition. By turning molecular behaviour into measurable intelligence, the company aims to unlock a new era of discovery across science and industry.
