OpenAI invests in biosecurity start-up Valthos to counter AI threats
What's the story
Valthos, a New York-based biosecurity software start-up, has received $30 million in funding from OpenAI, Founders Fund, and Lux Capital. The company is focused on developing tools to defend against potential bioweapon attacks that could be accelerated by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Valthos's software uses biological data from commercial and government sources, including air and wastewater monitoring, to identify emerging threats and assess risks using AI tools.
Development
AI systems for medical countermeasures
Valthos is also working on AI systems to update medical countermeasures for evolving threats. The company plans to partner with pharmaceutical firms for manufacturing and distribution. "The only way to deter an attack is to know when it's happening, update countermeasures, and deploy them fast," said Kathleen McMahon, the co-founder and CEO of Valthos. She was formerly the head of Palantir Technologies Inc's life sciences division.
Investment trends
Decline in biotech funding
Defense tech has become a popular area for venture capital investment, with Silicon Valley investors pouring billions into autonomous drones, advanced nuclear systems, and other national security projects. However, funding for biotech, including bioweapons defense, has hit its lowest level in over a decade. This decline comes even as well-funded AI research raises the stakes for innovation in biotechnology.
Strategic move
OpenAI's perspective on investment
OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon said Valthos is the first biosecurity investment that OpenAI has considered making. He hinted at more such investments in the future. "There needs to be a system of countervailing technologies out there to make the system robust," Kwon said, adding that effective biosecurity needs a large network of diverse stakeholders.
Business strategy
Future of biosecurity tools
As the US government will be a major customer for Valthos, McMahon said the start-up will apply many of the same principles she learned at Palantir, about working with officials as well as commercial customers. "We need to meet operators where they are," she said. Lux Capital partner Brandon Reeves predicts Valthos will be one of many companies focusing on biosecurity tools in the future.