Recursion (formerly Exscientia)

Oxford, United Kingdom All United Kingdom companies → — Founded 2012

Biotech / Drug Discovery Specialty-Focused AI

Acquired — $1.97B

About Recursion (formerly Exscientia)

Exscientia, now part of Recursion, is a pioneering pharmatech company that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to revolutionize drug discovery and design. Their approach integrates generative AI algorithms for in silico compound design with automated robotics for synthesizing drug candidates. This innovative methodology, built on platforms like AWS, aims to significantly accelerate the drug discovery process, reduce costs, and improve the quality of drug candidates by minimizing the number of compounds that need to be synthesized and tested. Exscientia’s platform, often referred to as Centaur Chemist or Centaur AI, focuses on precision design, working backward from patient needs to define target product profiles and predict molecular features for safe and effective drugs.

The company’s AI-driven process is designed to be more efficient and productive than conventional methods, which can take up to 15 years and cost billions of dollars with high failure rates. By encoding vast amounts of information on biological targets and molecular structures, Exscientia’s AI can process data and identify a small set of diverse molecules for testing, drastically reducing the number of compounds required to reach clinical trials. This has led to a significant reduction in drug design timelines, cutting the industry average from 4.5 years to as little as 12 to 15 months, and decreasing capital costs by up to 80%. Exscientia has successfully advanced AI-designed small molecules into clinical trials, demonstrating the real-world impact of their technology.

Focus Areas

AI-driven drug discovery precision medicine small molecule drug design oncology rare diseases inflammatory diseases

Business Intelligence

Key Investors	SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Novo Holdings, BlackRock, Mubadala Investment Company, Farallon Capital, Casdin Capital, GT Healthcare Capital, Marshall Wace, Pivotal bioVenture Partners, Laurion Capital, Hongkou, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Air Street Capital, Celgene, Evotec, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, RA Capital Management, AstraZeneca, Flagship Pioneering, Wellington Management Company, Viking Global Investors
Partnerships	Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck KGaA, Sumitomo Pharma, GT Apeiron, AWS, Shimadzu, University of Oxford, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Acquisitions	Allcyte (acquired by Exscientia), Exscientia (acquired by Recursion Pharmaceuticals)
Technology	AI-native platform, Centaur AI platform, AWS technologies, generative AI, active learning, machine learning, physics-based systems, large language models (via Amazon Bedrock), automated small-molecule synthesis platform, AutomationStudio, DesignStudio, Design-Make-Test-Learn (DMTL) loops

At a glance

Founded 2012

HQ Oxford, United Kingdom · United Kingdom

Team size 47 (as of April 30, 2026, for Exscientia prior to merger); 483 (Exscientia total employees at end of 2023)

CEO Chris Gibson (of Recursion, following merger)

Funding Acquired — $1.97B

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Press & Coverage

BioPharma Dive

Recursion to absorb Exscientia in 'techbio' deal

Recursion and Exscientia, two AI firms, announced their combination, betting on complementary skills in technology-based drug discovery to accelerate and improve medicine development. The new entity will retain the Recursion name, with current Recursion shareholders owning approximately 74% of the combined company.

2024-08

GlobeNewswire

Recursion and Exscientia Enter Definitive Agreement to Create a Global Technology-Enabled Drug Discovery Leader with End-to-End Capabilities

Recursion and Exscientia announced a definitive agreement to merge, creating a combined entity focused on end-to-end drug discovery with a highly complementary pipeline and significant pharmaceutical partnerships. The combined company will be named Recursion, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and trade on NASDAQ.

2024-08

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Recursion and Exscientia, two leaders in the AI drug discovery space, have officially combined to advance the industrialization of drug discovery

The business combination of Recursion and Exscientia has been completed, with Exscientia becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Recursion, forming a vertically-integrated and technology-enabled drug discovery platform. Exscientia ADSs ceased trading and were delisted from Nasdaq.

2024-11

Fierce Biotech

Several months after Exscientia merger, AI biotech outfit Recursion reworks pipeline

Recursion is streamlining its pipeline, focusing on oncology and rare diseases, following its acquisition of Exscientia. The company is deprioritizing three clinical-stage programs, pausing one, and winding down a preclinical program.

2025-05

Pharmaceutical Technology

Recursion axes drug programmes to streamline pipeline

Recursion Pharmaceuticals has narrowed its drug development pipeline, ending or pausing five programs to reduce costs and reprioritize resources after its merger with Exscientia. The company's Q1 2025 earnings report detailed these cuts.

2025-05

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly Exscientia press release)

Exscientia Achieves Milestones for Two Programmes in Sanofi Collaboration

Exscientia announced the advancement of two discovery programs within its collaboration with Sanofi, receiving an aggregate of $15 million in milestone payments. Both lead compounds met product profile requirements for transition to the lead optimization phase.

2024-10

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly Exscientia press release)

Exscientia Acquires Full Rights to Potential Best-in-Class CDK7 Inhibitor Ahead of Phase 1 Dose Escalation Data Readout

Exscientia acquired GT Apeiron's share of its oral CDK7 inhibitor program, gaining full control of GTAEXS617 and related intellectual property. The monotherapy dose escalation phase of the ELUCIDATE trial is on track for data readout in H2 2024.

2024-07

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly Exscientia press release)

Exscientia Announces AI Drug Discovery Collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Exscientia announced a new collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, focusing on the discovery of novel small molecule drug candidates across oncology, neuroinflammation, and immunology. Exscientia is eligible for up to $674 million in milestone payments.

2023-09

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Recursion's core approach to AI-driven drug discovery, and how does it differ from traditional methods?

Recursion (formerly Exscientia) leverages a full-stack AI-driven drug discovery platform to accelerate the identification and development of novel therapeutics. Unlike traditional methods that often rely on serendipity and extensive manual screening, Recursion's approach integrates AI and automation across the entire drug discovery pipeline, from target identification to lead optimization, aiming for increased efficiency and a higher probability of success.

How does Recursion ensure the precision and efficacy of its AI-designed small molecule drugs, particularly in oncology and rare diseases?

Recursion utilizes its AI platform to design small molecule drugs with high precision by analyzing vast datasets of biological and chemical information. This allows for the identification of compounds with specific activity against disease targets, which is crucial for developing effective treatments in complex areas like oncology and rare diseases. The platform aims to predict drug behavior and optimize properties to enhance efficacy and minimize off-target effects.

What specific products or drug candidates does Recursion currently have in its pipeline for oncology, rare diseases, and inflammatory diseases?

Recursion has a pipeline of drug candidates across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, rare diseases, and inflammatory diseases. While specific product names and their current development phases would require a detailed pipeline review, the company's focus is on advancing these candidates through preclinical and clinical stages using its AI-driven approach.

How does Recursion address regulatory compliance and data security given the sensitive nature of patient data and drug development?

Recursion prioritizes regulatory compliance and data security by implementing robust protocols and adhering to industry best practices. This includes safeguarding sensitive patient and research data through secure infrastructure, encryption, and strict access controls, ensuring compliance with relevant healthcare regulations and data privacy laws throughout the drug development process.

What is Recursion's pricing model for its drug candidates or potential partnerships, and how does it impact healthcare costs?

Recursion's pricing model for its drug candidates and partnerships would typically involve a combination of upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties, common in the pharmaceutical industry. The company's aim to develop more efficient and targeted therapies could potentially lead to more cost-effective treatments in the long run by reducing development failures and accelerating time to market.

What kind of support and collaboration does Recursion offer to healthcare providers or research institutions interested in precision medicine initiatives?

Recursion actively seeks collaborations with healthcare providers and research institutions to advance precision medicine. This can involve partnerships for clinical trials, data sharing agreements to enhance AI model training, and scientific collaborations to explore novel therapeutic avenues. The company aims to provide scientific and technical support to its partners.

What is the long-term stability and vision of Recursion as a company in the rapidly evolving AI drug discovery landscape?

Recursion demonstrates strong long-term stability and a clear vision within the AI drug discovery landscape, backed by significant investments and strategic partnerships. The company's continuous innovation in AI and automation, coupled with a growing pipeline, positions it as a key player in transforming drug discovery and development for the future.

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