Vilya — Startup Profile
Computational biotech platform designing novel molecular structures to target disease biology
HQ: Seattle, WA | Founded: 2023 | Employees: 40–60+ | Stage: Series A | Website: https://vilyatx.com
About
Vilya is a computational biotechnology company that designs novel molecular structures — including macrocycles and de novo miniproteins — to target disease biology. Spun out of the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design, the company combines machine learning with physics-based molecular modeling to create therapeutics aimed at targets traditionally considered undruggable. Vilya's platform is designed to dramatically compress the timeline from target validation to lead candidate selection. The company raised its initial funding round in early 2024 with participation from NVIDIA and other venture investors, and has since been expanding its pipeline and team from its Seattle headquarters.
The Take
Vilya represents a credible bet at the intersection of computational protein design and therapeutic development, built on the deep scientific foundation of the Institute for Protein Design. The company's focus on designing macrocycles and miniproteins addresses a genuine gap in the drug discovery pipeline — many disease-relevant targets lack binding pockets suitable for conventional small molecules or antibodies. With backing from NVIDIA and established biotech investors, Vilya has the technical pedigree and capital base to advance its platform, though it remains early-stage with no clinical-stage assets yet disclosed.
Key Metrics
- Latest Valuation: $180–220M (post-Series A, est.)
- Last Round: Series A (2024)
- Total Funding: $40–50M (est.)
- Headcount: 40–60+
- Founded: 2023
- Est. Runway: 18–24 months
Funding Rounds
- Round: $40M (2024-01) — NVIDIA, Flagship Pioneering
- Round: $15M (2025-08) — NVIDIA, new strategic investor (undisclosed pharma)
Key People
- David Baker
- Gaurav Bhardwaj
- Alexandra R. Ragionieri
- New CSO (2025)
Key Competitors
- Recursion Pharmaceuticals —
- Generate Biomedicines —
- Insilico Medicine —
- Nabla Bio —
Timeline Highlights
- 2025-11: Pharma collaboration announced
- 2025-09: Macrocycle design platform expansion
- 2025-08: Series A extension
- 2025-06: New Chief Scientific Officer appointed
- 2025-03: Senior Director of Computational Chemistry hired
- 2024-01: Series A funding round
- 2023: Company founded
Recent News
- Vilya enters research collaboration with major pharma partner for undruggable oncology targets (2025-11-03)
- Vilya expands computational drug discovery platform with new macrocycle design capabilities (2025-09-15)
- Vilya adds veteran drug discovery executive as Chief Scientific Officer (2025-06-22)
- NVIDIA and top VC firms invest in Vilya, a biotech spinout from Seattle's Institute for Protein Design (2024-01-15)
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