Wilmington AI biotech startup wins a spot in million-dollar Cure incubator

BioCurie, a Wilmington biotech startup that develops AI-based software for cell and gene therapy, is joining the inaugural Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good.

The one-year incubation residency with Cure, a New York City healthcare innovation campus, includes unrestricted seed money from a $1 million funding pool, mentors and access to in-kind resources from partners like NVIDIA and Amazon Web Services.

BioCurie was one of 10 finalists selected in January, after a round of interviews where the Delaware startup pitched its mechanistic AI technology — known as mAI — for cell and gene therapy [CGT] manufacturing.

“Our solution will enable biopharma companies and contract manufacturers to drive down the time, cost, and risk of CGT production, while improving product quality, safety, and commercial viability,” BioCurie CEO, president, and cofounder Irene Rombel said in the Cure Xchange Challenge Solutions Overview.

Rombel said the tech will allow developers and manufacturers “to accurately predict the best production conditions for their cell, gene, and nucleic acid therapy products.”

In addition to BioCurie, four other AI healthcare startups were selected for the program. They are:

• ALLAGI.AI
• Deepecho
• Every Cure
• Oben Health

The cohort will use AI to address some of the biggest challenges in healthcare, including inequitable care, inefficiencies and high healthcare costs. At the same time, they’ll address ethical concerns with AI, from public trust to fairness to privacy, according to Cure CEO Seema Kumar.

“AI-driven tools have the potential to be a game changer in improving human health and solving health inequities that persist in underserved communities,” Kumar said in a statement. “This innovative group of Challenge winners are pioneering the future of healthcare, where AI responsibly empowers us to create and deliver equitable, accessible and transformative care for all.”

Check out this video to get a glimpse of the Cure Campus and learn more about the program.