AMPLY Discovery

AMPLY Discovery is a Belfast-based biotechnology company spun out of Queen's University Belfast to commercialise a computational drug discovery platform developed over roughly a decade of academic research, including work in the Creevey Lab and the university's School of Biological Sciences. Its proprietary platform, AMPLYfolioAI, applies machine learning and predictive analytics to large genomic datasets generated by next-generation sequencing in order to predict molecular function, identify new genetic targets and design therapeutic molecules built from amino acids and oligonucleotides. In silico predictions are then bio-printed and validated through in vitro synthetic biology experiments, and in vivo testing, giving the company an integrated computational and wet-lab workflow.

The company operates two flagship preclinical programme areas. The first is gene-silencing/RNA interference therapy for genetically mediated and aggressive cancers, including acute myeloid leukaemia and triple-negative breast cancer. The second is inhaled or nebulised antimicrobial peptide therapy for chronic and drug-resistant lung infections, including multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The company frames both efforts around the same premise: that one-size-fits-all treatments fail to account for genetic diversity, leaving poor outcomes in aggressive cancers and rising antimicrobial resistance.

Founding story

The platform originated with Dr Ben Thomas, who moved from a background in financial markets and financial modelling into computational biology, initially exploring whether stock-market prediction techniques could be applied to drug discovery. The work began with his PhD (completed at Aberystwyth University) and continued through post-doctoral research at Queen's University Belfast. At Queen's he met Dermot Tierney, then working in the university's technology transfer office after an MBA and a move from industry, and the two agreed to spin the company out. Thomas has cited his father's death from a drug-resistant infection as a personal motivation. Prof Chris Creevey, a computational biologist whose lab produced more than a decade of the underlying research, is also named as a co-founder.

Business model

AMPLY operates as a drug discovery studio rather than a single-asset developer: it runs internal R&D programmes that discover and validate de novo, first-in-class biologic drug candidates and intends to out-license those assets to downstream biopharma partners at an early stage of development. Platform validation across multiple diseases is pursued alongside pipeline building.

The stated commercial path is out-licensing internally discovered and validated drug candidates to biopharmaceutical licensees once programmes are further along the development pathway.

Traction

Preclinical programmes are underway in gene-silencing therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia and triple-negative breast cancer and in inhaled antimicrobial peptides for drug-resistant lung infections, including multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The company has attracted competitive grant awards from Innovate UK and Innosuisse, places on the Techstars Chicago and NI Launchpad programmes, and equity backing from Twin Path Ventures, Venture Science, Co-Fund NI, the British Business Bank and QUBIS.

Latest developments

In May 2025 AMPLY announced a $1.75m (£1.3m) seed round led by Twin Path Ventures, with Venture Science, Co-Fund NI, the British Business Bank and QUBIS participating, to advance its discovery programmes through the preclinical stage and expand its biologics pipeline. In November 2025 Dr Oliver Rausch, a drug-discovery scientist with a background in biochemistry, cell biology and translational research, joined as Chief Scientific Officer.