Apheris Tackles AI Data Bottlenecks in Life Sciences with Federated Computing
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Amelia Cross
- January 2, 2025
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Apheris Tackles AI Data Challenges in Life Sciences with Federated Computing
The success of AI in healthcare hinges on data, yet much of it remains inaccessible due to patient privacy, regulatory hurdles, and IP concerns. Apheris, a startup founded by Robin Röhm and Michael Höh, addresses these challenges through federated computing, enabling AI model training without moving sensitive data.
“Collaboration on sensitive data is inherently difficult,” Röhm said. Apheris’ decentralized approach ensures computations occur locally, with only model outputs aggregated centrally. The company’s solutions are already used by major clients, including Roche and several hospitals.
This vision has secured an $8.25 million Series A round co-led by OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL. According to OTB co-founder Marcin Hejka, federated computing is becoming pivotal in emerging data networks. Apheris also integrates privacy-enhancing technologies like homomorphic encryption, differential privacy, and synthetic data to strengthen its offering.
Pivot and Growth
Initially focused on building a federated learning framework, Apheris pivoted in 2023 to target life sciences and pharma sectors, focusing on the needs of data owners. This shift proved successful, leading to a fourfold increase in revenue and strong product-market fit. The Apheris Compute Gateway, a key product, is used by the AI Structural Biology Consortium, whose members include AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, and Sanofi, to drive AI-driven drug discovery.
Future Focus
With its total funding now at $20.8 million, Apheris plans to expand its team with senior talent specializing in life sciences. It aims to delve deeper into areas like protein complex prediction, where public data is scarce but proprietary data could unlock breakthroughs if shared securely.
“Without addressing the data owners’ concerns, the potential of AI in life sciences can’t be fully realized,” Röhm said. “That’s the core mission of what we’re building.”
Apheris is positioning itself as a critical enabler of AI innovation in life sciences, providing the tools for secure and collaborative data use in one of the most data-sensitive industries.
