Iktos is a technology company combining artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic automation to enhance efficiency and speed in early-stage drug discovery. The company develops generative AI software for multi-parameter optimization in small-molecule design, retrosynthesis planning tools, and a robotics-driven synthesis–testing infrastructure to automate the design–make–test–analyze (DMTA) cycle. Founded in 2016, Iktos offers both software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions and integrated discovery partnerships, while advancing its internal pipeline in therapeutic areas such as oncology and autoimmune–inflammatory diseases.
History and Corporate Development
Founded in 2016, Iktos launched its first pharmaceutical collaborations in 2018, released the Makya generative design platform in 2019, and introduced the Spaya retrosynthesis platform in 2020.
In March 2023, the company completed a €15.5 million Series A funding round led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation Fund, with participation from Omnes Capital. In 2024, Iktos announced its integrated AI–robotics discovery platform and acquired Synsight, strengthening its biological capabilities through the MT Bench® live-cell imaging technology. In 2025, Iktos received a €2.5 million grant and up to €5 million in additional funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program.
Technology and Platforms
Makya – Iktos’s generative AI platform for drug design – enables rapid convergence toward optimal molecular structures that meet defined product profiles. It uses multi-objective optimization, 3D constraint modeling, and synthetic feasibility scoring to propose viable drug candidates.
Spaya – the company’s retrosynthesis platform – performs AI-assisted route planning, resolving molecules into commercially available precursors within seconds using template-based neural networks and search algorithms.
Both Makya and Spaya operate as SaaS products and integrate directly into Iktos’s collaboration pipelines and automated synthesis workflows. Iktos Robotics represents the company’s automation platform for end-to-end digitalization of the DMTA cycle. The system combines Chemspeed-based high-throughput chemistry, purification and analytical workflows, and high-content phenotypic screening under a unified orchestration layer. The integration of Synsight’s MT Bench® technology allows functional evaluation of intracellular PPI and RPI targets, enhancing target validation and mode-of-action studies.
Business Model
Iktos licenses its Makya and Spaya software and conducts integrated discovery partnerships, collaborating with clients through joint AI-driven design–synthesis–testing cycles. The company has a track record of over 60 collaborative projects with academic and industrial partners.
A strategic partnership with Elsevier supports the development of next-generation retrosynthesis and synthetic accessibility tools using the Reaxys database. Publicly disclosed internal programs include:
- MTHFD2 (inflammation and autoimmune diseases)
- PKMYT1 and SKP2–CKS1 (oncology)
- Amylin receptor targets (metabolic disorders and obesity)
These projects are progressing at various stages from discovery to preclinical validation.
Funding
- Series A (2023): €15.5 million – led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation Fund
- EIC Accelerator (2025): €2.5 million grant plus up to €5 million additional funding option
Funds are directed toward scaling the integrated AI–robotics discovery platform and accelerating internal R&D programs.
Leadership and Governance
Founders:
- Yann Gaston-Mathé – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Quentin Perron – Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)
- Nicolas Do Huu – Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Board of Directors:
- Roman Fleck (Chairman)
- Representatives from M Ventures, Debiopharm Innovation, and Omnes Capital
Scientific Advisory Board:
- Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli (MIT) – Machine learning and chemistry
- Thierry Masquelin – Automation systems
- Laurent Debussche – Computational drug design
- Friedrich Rippmann – Pharmaceutical R&D
