Pfizer is also betting on artificial intelligence to speed up the discovery of new drugs and has chosen Chai Discovery, a California startup specialized in biomolecule design through generative models. The agreement guarantees the pharmaceutical group early access to Chai-3, the most advanced system developed by the company, and to a customized version built on Pfizer’s proprietary data.
The deal comes at a time of growing adoption of AI by major companies in the sector and represents one of the most important recognitions obtained so far by a company founded just two years ago.
THE AGREEMENT WITH PFIZER
According to what was announced by Chai Discovery, the startup’s artificial intelligence platform will be integrated into Pfizer’s research processes to support the identification and design of new molecules. In addition to access to Chai-3, Pfizer will be able to use a model specifically developed on its own database and adapted to its research workflows.
The goal is to accelerate the early stages of biologic drug discovery, a field historically characterized by long experimental cycles and high failure rates. Chai claims that its models can predict and reprogram interactions between molecules, allowing researchers to design biomolecules with defined functional characteristics.
Joshua Meier, co-founder of the startup, explained that the collaboration aims to put the company’s technology “directly into the hands of one of the world’s leading organizations engaged in drug discovery.” According to Meier, in fact, “by combining Chai’s cutting-edge AI platform with Pfizer’s scientific depth, data, and research capabilities, we see the opportunity to expand and accelerate what is possible in biologic drug discovery and help Pfizer pursue targets that traditional methods have struggled to reach.”
CHAI-3 AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL LEAP
One of the central elements of the agreement is Chai-3, a model the company had not yet made public. Pfizer will be among the first pharmaceutical partners to access it.
According to Chai, the system introduces significant improvements in AI-assisted antibody design. The success rate is double compared to the previous generation, and the failure rate is halved, while maintaining the ability to produce antibodies that meet the required therapeutic standards.
The model also improves performance related to therapeutic binding, multispecific molecule design, and the ability to develop candidates against biological targets that traditional methods have struggled to address.
WHO IS BEHIND CHAI DISCOVERY
Chai Discovery was founded in 2024 in San Francisco by Joshua Meier, Jack Dent, Matthew McPartlon, and Jacques Boitreaud. The team brings together expertise gained from organizations such as OpenAI, Meta FAIR, Stripe, molecular design, and academic research.
The founders’ stated goal is to bring “the precision and predictability of engineering” to one of the most complex problems in modern science, that of developing more effective and faster therapies even for conditions considered difficult or impossible to treat pharmacologically.
WHAT IT DOES…
The company develops AI models designed to understand biological structure and function, generate new molecules from scratch, and help pharmaceutical companies work on targets that have so far proven particularly complex. According to Meier, artificial intelligence has opened a path to tackle biological goals that were previously out of reach of traditional approaches.
…AND HOW IT HAS GROWN
Investor interest in Chai, wrote the Financial Times a year ago, emerged strongly in 2025 when the startup raised $70 million, reaching a valuation of about $550 million, including the new capital raised.
The round included Menlo Ventures, Yuri Milner’s DST Global Partners, and Yosemite, an investment group focused on oncology founded by Reed Jobs, son of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Existing investors such as Thrive Capital and OpenAI also strengthened their support.
Greg Yap, partner at Menlo Ventures, had described Chai as a company capable of bringing together “the best of advanced AI talent with real biological expertise.” Menlo led the financing through its co-investment vehicle with the AI startup Anthropic.
Among the investors most recently cited by the company, in addition to OpenAI, Thrive Capital, and Menlo Ventures, are also Oak HC/FT, General Catalyst, and Dimension.
THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY’S INTEREST
The agreement with Chai fits into Pfizer’s strategy to strengthen its research and development pipeline. According to Quartz, the pharmaceutical group recorded revenues of $14.45 billion in the first quarter thanks to growth in oncology and recently launched products. In May, CEO Albert Bourla stated that the company’s pipeline is advancing on multiple fronts, supported by positive results from Phase 3 clinical trials.
The deal also represents a further sign of the growing integration of artificial intelligence into the operational processes of major pharmaceutical companies. Recently, Merck and Google Cloud announced a multi-year partnership potentially worth up to $1 billion for AI applications aimed at research and development, manufacturing, and commercial activities.
