# OutSee Secures Grant to Advance AI in Drug Target Validation

> OutSee has secured a £50,000 grant from Innovate UK to develop an agentic AI sub-system for improving drug target validation. This groundbreaking pilot study aims to streamline the drug discovery process by automating manual validation tasks.

**Source**: firstwordpharma.com | **Published**: 2026-09-08 | **Type**: article

## Key Facts

- OutSee's £50,000 grant enhances AI target validation, streamlining drug discovery efficiency.
- Nomaly's predictive genomics identifies undetectable targets, offering a competitive edge in biotech.
- Agentic AI reduces manual validation bottlenecks, allowing scientists to focus on high-impact targets.
- Partnerships with pharma boost OutSee's market positioning, leveraging shared expertise for growth.
- Expanding into neurology and rare diseases signals strategic shift towards high-need therapeutic areas.

## Summary

OutSee, a Cambridge-based genomics and drug discovery company, has secured a £50,000 grant from Innovate UK, jointly funded by Empirical Ventures, to develop an agentic AI sub-system aimed at enhancing drug target validation. This pilot study will leverage OutSee’s AI-driven predictive genomics platform, Nomaly, to streamline the initial screening of drug targets, which are currently validated manually. The initiative is significant as it addresses a critical bottleneck in the drug discovery process, potentially accelerating the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

The funding comes through Innovate UK's Growth Catalyst – Investor Partnership grant program, which supports innovative projects that can drive economic growth. OutSee’s Nomaly platform employs advanced AI techniques to identify new drug targets, particularly in areas like neurology and rare diseases. By automating the validation process, the company aims to enhance its operational efficiency and improve the throughput of target validation, allowing its scientific team to focus on the most promising candidates for therapeutic development.

OutSee's strategic focus on AI-driven genomics positions it well within a competitive landscape increasingly dominated by technology-driven approaches in drug discovery. The collaboration with Empirical Ventures not only provides financial backing but also signals confidence in OutSee's innovative capabilities. As the pharmaceutical industry faces mounting pressure to reduce time-to-market for new therapies, the integration of AI into validation processes could offer a significant competitive advantage.

The pilot study will specifically target the initial assessment of outputs generated by Nomaly, which has the unique ability to analyze small or previously examined datasets. This capability is crucial, as traditional methods often struggle to identify targets in limited data scenarios. By enhancing the validation pipeline, OutSee is poised to unlock new therapeutic avenues that may have been overlooked using conventional approaches.

Dr. Julian Gough, OutSee’s CEO, emphasized the importance of this pilot in maximizing the impact of their scientific team. The agentic AI sub-system is expected to facilitate quicker scaling of the validation pipeline, thereby increasing the overall productivity of the research team. With a tailored solution in place, OutSee can focus its expertise on the most viable drug targets, which is essential in a field where the speed of discovery can significantly influence market positioning.

The implications of this development extend beyond OutSee. As the industry increasingly adopts AI technologies to enhance drug discovery processes, competitors will need to evaluate their own capabilities in target validation and consider similar investments in AI-driven solutions. The success of OutSee’s pilot could set a precedent for other companies in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, potentially leading to a broader shift toward automated validation systems.

Looking ahead, the successful implementation of the agentic AI sub-system could not only streamline OutSee’s operations but also enhance its attractiveness to potential partners and investors. As the demand for innovative therapies continues to grow, companies that can effectively leverage AI to improve their drug discovery processes will likely emerge as leaders in the market. This trend signals a pivotal shift in how drug targets are validated and developed, potentially reshaping the future landscape of pharmaceutical innovation.

## Entities

- **Companies**: OutSee, Empirical Ventures
- **Products**: Nomaly
- **Technologies**: agentic AI, AI-driven biological engine
- **People**: Dr Julian Gough, Dan Bolser
- **Organizations**: Innovate UK

## Key Concepts

agentic AI, drug target validation, predictive genomics, target identification, biotechnology partnerships, neurology diseases, rare diseases, metabolic diseases

## Definitions

- **agentic AI**: A type of artificial intelligence designed to autonomously perform tasks and make decisions, particularly in the context of drug target validation.
- **predictive genomics**: An approach that uses AI to analyze genomic data to predict potential drug targets and disease mechanisms.
- **Nomaly**: OutSee's core AI genomics platform that utilizes predictive modeling to identify therapeutic targets from genomic data.
- **target validation**: The process of confirming that a drug target is relevant and effective for therapeutic development.
- **CNS**: Central Nervous System, referring to the part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord, often a focus in drug discovery.

## Use Cases

- Initial validation screening of drug targets
- Enhancing target identification capabilities
- Streamlining drug discovery processes
- Patient stratification for precision medicine
- Identifying novel targets for ALS treatment
- Collaborating with biotech and pharma companies

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the purpose of the Innovate UK grant awarded to OutSee?**

The Innovate UK grant is intended to fund a pilot study for developing a prototype agentic AI sub-system that will enhance drug target validation processes at OutSee.

**How does Nomaly contribute to drug discovery?**

Nomaly utilizes AI-driven predictive genomics to identify potential drug targets, allowing for the analysis of small datasets and uncovering targets that may be missed by traditional methods.

**What are the expected outcomes of the pilot study?**

The pilot study aims to improve the validation pipeline by automating the triage of Nomaly's outputs, which should lead to faster and more efficient drug target validation.

**Who are the key personnel involved in the project?**

Dr Julian Gough, the CEO and Founder of OutSee, and Dan Bolser, the Principal Bioinformatician, are the key personnel involved in the project and have provided insights on its significance.

**What diseases is OutSee focusing on with its drug discovery efforts?**

OutSee is primarily focused on neurology, rare diseases, and metabolic diseases, aiming to unlock new druggable targets in these areas.

## Links

- [Read on Welcome.AI](https://welcome.ai/content/outsee-secures-grant-to-advance-ai-in-drug-target-validation)
- [Original source](https://firstwordpharma.com/story/7961721)
- [OutSee](https://welcome.ai/company/outsee): Featured company

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Source: Welcome.AI | https://welcome.ai/content/outsee-secures-grant-to-advance-ai-in-drug-target-validation