Spotlight: Amply Discovery
Amply Discovery is transforming drug discovery with AI and synthetic biology. Based in Belfast, the company is making the process of developing new medicines more predictable, efficient, and cost-effective, with applications across cancer, infectious diseases, and metabolic conditions.
| Programmes or services: | Innovate UK Microbials Accelerator (delivered by LYVA Labs) |
| Support provided: | Market analysis framework, workshops, technical mentoring, introductions to experts, and Innovate UK funding for a feasibility project in CF-associated lung infections |
| Sector | Life Sciences, AI Drug Discovery, Synthetic Biology |
| Location: | Belfast |
Summary
LYVA Labs supported Amply Discovery, a Belfast-based spin-out, through the Innovate UK-funded Microbials Accelerator in 2023. The programme helped the company validate its unique AI-powered platforms - AlpTALON for RNA and AMPLYfolioAI for proteins - which act like “ChatGPT for molecule discovery,” combining machine learning and predictive analytics with synthetic biology to generate and test new drug candidates.
Through the accelerator, Amply gained structured market analysis, experimental design advice, and connections to technical experts. Crucially, the company secured Innovate UK funding for a proof-of-concept project on CF-associated multi-drug-resistant (MDR) lung infections, which enabled them to execute their first full end-to-end drug discovery cycle.
Since completing the programme, Amply has made rapid progress: developing a bio-library of thousands of novel candidates, advancing its trials to in vitro validation, and securing £1.76m in government-backed R&D grants. The company has also raised a £1.4m seed round (Q1 2025) and built partnerships to accelerate its programmes in MDR lung infections, leukaemia, and breast cancer.
Dermot Tierney, COO and Cofounder of Amply Discovery, said: “Working with LYVA Labs helped us seed the forest for the trees!”
Looking ahead, Amply is focused on delivering proof-of-concept results to demonstrate the transformative potential of its platform across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities.