Absci Stock Jumps as AMD Invests $20M to Boost AI Drug Discovery
Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 9:42 am ET
Absci Corporation (NASDAQ: ABSI) shares surged on Wednesday after the company announced a strategic collaboration with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) to enhance its AI drug discovery capabilities. The partnership, which includes a $20 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) by AMD, underscores the growing demand for innovative AI applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
The collaboration will leverage AMD Instinct™ accelerators and ROCm™ software to power critical AI drug discovery workloads, including Absci's advanced de novo antibody design models. This strategic partnership supports Absci's mission to create better biologics for patients, faster, by providing optimized AI solutions for complex biological modeling that offer exceptional performance, reduced infrastructure costs, and faster innovation cycles.

Absci Founder & CEO Sean McClain will discuss the strategic partnership at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 15th, at 4:30 PM PT. Absci and AMD will showcase the exceptional performance of AMD's Instinct accelerators in addressing complex biological applications, including Absci's proprietary IgDesign1 model, the first in vitro validated inverse folding model for antibody design.
"At Absci, we are always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what's possible in drug discovery," said Sean McClain, Founder & CEO of Absci. "This partnership with AMD gives us the unique advantage of working closely with a partner that is deeply committed to supporting our needs while providing the most efficient, innovative AI solutions available. AMD high-performance compute will enable us to further the development of next-generation antibody therapeutics, and we are excited about the potential that this partnership holds to accelerate the future of drug discovery."
AMD's investment in Absci represents a significant vote of confidence in the company's AI drug discovery platform. The PIPE deal values the investment at approximately 5% of Absci's current market cap, providing both capital infusion and technological validation. The partnership strategically positions Absci to optimize its computational infrastructure while reducing operational costs through AMD's high-performance computing solutions.
This collaboration could accelerate Absci's path to commercialization and scaling of its AI-driven drug discovery platform. The deal structure as a PIPE suggests a premium valuation and demonstrates institutional confidence in Absci's technology. The partnership may lead to reduced R&D costs and faster drug development cycles, potentially improving Absci's cash runway and operational efficiency.
In conclusion, AMD's investment in Absci Corporation highlights the growing demand for innovative AI applications in drug discovery. The strategic partnership between the two companies is expected to accelerate Absci's growth and solidify its position in the AI-driven drug discovery landscape. As the market for AI in drug discovery continues to grow, investors should keep an eye on companies like Absci that are at the forefront of this transformative technology.