Meta-Flux

Meta-Flux is a Dublin-based techbio company building software that simulates disease biology in silico to support preclinical drug development decisions. Its Disease Simulation Engine models cellular state, perturbation response and therapeutic intervention using mechanistic models rather than pattern-matching over existing datasets, so that predictions can be traced back to an underlying biological mechanism. The models are built on two data layers: proprietary multi-omic datasets from partner biobanks (matched scRNA-seq, whole-genome sequencing, proteomics and metabolomics) and open reference resources such as reference atlases, GWAS, Open Targets, Expression Atlas and PRIDE.

The company positions the product as an "AI biologist" that integrates genetic, proteomic, metabolic, phenotypic and clinical-outcome data into a systems-level map of human biology, using multi-omic simulations and dynamic knowledge graphs. Stated use cases include identifying viable targets, validating mechanisms of action and biomarkers, surfacing toxicity risks, refining translational strategy and supporting evidence-based go/no-go decisions before costly clinical stages. Two therapeutic focus areas are described: neurodegeneration (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS and MSA), using single-nucleus transcriptomics at population scale, multi-omic integration across donor cohorts and foundation models trained on diseased human brain tissue; and immuno-oncology (breast, lung, melanoma and colorectal), using spatial transcriptomics across patient tumours and multi-omic profiling of immune infiltrates to model the tumour microenvironment and patient stratification.

Disclosed partner work includes a CNS drug delivery company in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where disease-scale simulation is applied to neurodegeneration programmes, and a Dublin venom-derived oncology company, where Meta-Flux profiled lead candidate CB-24 across 831 oncology cell lines to model sensitivity and resistance patterns.

Founding story

According to Techstars, Meta-Flux was founded in 2021 by Lee Sherlock, described variously as an immunologist and a biochemist with expertise in computational biology and machine learning, and Brendan Martin, an AI engineer. Both founders had lost close family members to lung cancer, which is cited as the motivation for working to help effective treatments reach patients faster and to reduce the high rate of drug candidate failure. Reported founding dates vary across coverage: Techstars states 2021, Vestbee reports a 2023 launch, and Tech Funding News reports a 2020 founding by Sherlock, Martin and Sinah Behsangar.

Business model

Meta-Flux sells access to its simulation and "AI biologist" platform to pharmaceutical and biotech organisations, tailoring models to a partner's own data and providing expert support rather than a standard self-serve SaaS product. Engagements are described as decision-support collaborations, and the company has reported winning multiyear commercial contracts alongside pilot partnerships in oncology, neurology and rare disease.

Revenue comes from pharmaceutical and biotech partnerships and contracts for platform access and model development; the company reported winning a number of multiyear contracts as it began commercialising the technology. Specific pricing terms are not disclosed.

Traction

The company reports early pilots in which it identified novel biomarkers, flagged preclinical risks and refined translational strategies in oncology and neurology, and says it has begun commercialising the technology through a number of multiyear contracts. Named partner engagements include a Santa Fe CNS drug delivery company and a Dublin venom-derived oncology company whose lead candidate CB-24 was profiled across 831 oncology cell lines. It raised a €1.8 million ($2 million) seed round in October 2025, lists seven team members on its site, and completed the Techstars Chicago, MassBio DRIVE Boston and NDRC Dogpatch Labs programmes.

Latest developments

In October 2025 Meta-Flux announced a €1.8 million ($2 million) seed round backed by Techstars Ventures and senior executives from Pfizer, Merck and Gilead Sciences alongside technology leaders from Google, Amazon and Indeed. The company said it would use the capital to scale its preclinical drug development platform, expand its team of biologists, data engineers and product developers — including four engineering hires in Ireland — acquire additional data, and deepen pharmaceutical partnerships in the EU and US. It also reported expanding into rare diseases, onboarding new pilot partners, and plans to validate the platform across additional therapeutic areas over the following 12–18 months.