Baidu, investors said to be in talks to raise US$2 billion for biotech start-up using AI technology

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Chinese tech giant Baidu is in talks with investors to raise up to US$2 billion over three years for a biotech start-up, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to discover new drugs and diagnose diseases, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.

A second person confirmed the start-up plan.

Baidu is unlikely to be the controlling investor, the first person said. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity, adding they did not have more details on the investment as talks were still under way.

Baidu’s plans come at a time of increased investment in the health care sector since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many companies expanding into online diagnosis options to fill the gaps left by overstretched, overcrowded hospitals.

How China’s health care AI helps it deal with the epidemic

(Alibaba is the parent company of the South China Morning Post.)

But the start-up under discussion plans to focus more on such areas as drug discovery and development, and early tumour diagnosis, by mobilising Baidu’s powerful AI technology that can perform complex computing to produce biological innovations, the sources said.

The name of the start-up has not been decided, but Baidu came up with the idea as early as six months ago, one of the sources said, adding that Baidu founder and Chairman Robin Li has been personally involved in the project.

Baidu declined to comment.

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China’s hi-tech industries capitalise on Covid-19 pandemic health care needs

China’s hi-tech industries capitalise on Covid-19 pandemic health care needs

Baidu open-sourced its Ribonucleic acid (RNA) prediction algorithm LinearFold this year. The tool aims to accelerate the prediction time of a virus’ RNA secondary structure, which is crucial to understand a virus and develop vaccines.

The health care industry, especially biotechnology, has seen a flood of money flow in amid the scramble for a Covid-19 vaccine and governments seeking to fix their health systems.

The Hang Seng Healthcare Index has surged about 40 per cent over the past five months, outstripping the Hang Seng Index that edged up more than 6 per cent over the time.

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