SBC welcomes ‘virtual scientists’ in first-of-its-kind AI partnership to speed UK biotech innovation

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) has announced a new partnership with Kiin Bio to accelerate the UK’s transition into the era of AI-driven drug discovery. The collaboration introduces ‘virtual scientists’ to the SBC community, giving resident companies who have raised under £10m access to advanced AI tools that can automate time-consuming R&D tasks and help biotechs move from concept to clinical trials.

A first for UK science parks

The partnership marks a milestone for SBC, which becomes the first UK science park to formally partner with an AI company in drug discovery. Together, SBC and Kiin Bio share a vision to make AI more accessible to early-stage innovators, supporting researchers and startups to apply AI across drug discovery, bioinformatics and competitive intelligence.

Access to Kiin Bio’s virtual scientists

All companies based at SBC that have raised under £10m will receive a three-month pilot of the KiinOS platform, which includes access to three ‘virtual scientists’. The platform can perform and connect insights across a wide range of R&D tasks, from literature and biological searches to full bioinformatics (BIX) and cheminformatics (CIX) workflows, as well as competitor and landscape analyses.

“Partnering with Kiin Bio marks an important milestone for Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst as we continue to prepare our community for the AI era,” said Marco Delise, Director of Business Development and Entrepreneurship at SBC. “By giving our companies access to Kiin’s virtual scientists and expertise, we’re helping biotechs embrace AI to speed up a variety of R&D processes, enabling them to save time and focus on what’s really important.”

A shared mission

Kiin Bio and SBC aim to set a new standard for how science parks can accelerate AI adoption, helping researchers, startups and emerging biotechs turn complex data into actionable discovery faster than ever before.

Interested in joining SBC or learning more about the programme?

Contact marco.delise@stevenagecatalyst.com to find out how SBC can support your company, from rent-free lab and office space to connections with industry partners such as GSK and LifeArc.

About Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) is a leading non-profit science park in Hertfordshire, UK, providing world-class laboratories, offices and a collaborative ecosystem for biotechnology companies. Home to a vibrant community of more than 40 pioneering biopharma companies, SBC’s mission is to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge science into impactful innovation. Learn more at www.stevenagecatalyst.com.
Photo credit: SBC. Marco Delise with Kiin Bio Founder Filippo Abbondanza