Valthos

Next-generation biodefense

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

Valthos builds next-generation biodefense.

Of all AI applications, biotechnology has the highest upside and most catastrophic downside. Heroes at the frontlines of biodefense are working every day to protect the world against the worst case. But the pace of biotech is against them: more powerful methods to design biological systems, with near-universal access, open up an increasing surface area of threats.

In this new world, the only way forward is to be faster. So we set out to build the tech stack for biodefense. Our team of computational biologists and software engineers applies frontier AI to identify biological threats and update medical countermeasures in real-time.

We are backed by $30M from @OpenAI, @Lux_Capital, @foundersfund and others including @Definition_Cap. We are actively hiring engineers to join in the mission - if that sounds like you, get in touch.

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

Identifying emerging biological threats with frontier AI.

Read our latest brief: https://t.co/dzJdKicKML

This new era of biological risk demands a new generation of defensive capability to respond to threats we haven't encountered before. At Valthos, we’re building capabilities to identify unfamiliar threats, detect signs of engineering, and assess their possible origins.

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

In the last few weeks, awareness of the gap between AI risks and biological defense has grown significantly, but there has been less discussion of how to close it.

Closing that gap requires building a new technical stack for biodefense. We wanted to start breaking down that stack into concrete engineering problems - and outline what capabilities can solve them.

Read our capability overview here (https://t.co/3lT7LUkmKT)

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

In the last few weeks, awareness of the gap between AI risks and biological defense has grown significantly, but there has been less discussion of how to close it.

Closing that gap requires building a new technical stack for biodefense. We wanted to start breaking down that stack into concrete engineering problems - and outline what capabilities can solve them.

Read our capability overview here (https://t.co/3lT7LUkmKT)

[Tess van Stekelenburg @velvetatom]

More capable models will introduce increased biological risk. The magnitude is fiercely debated, the direction is not.

We need more resilient biodefense. https://t.co/d5anHct2xp

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

Valthos has been named to @Forbes' Next Billion-Dollar Startups list.

We were founded to bring together the best in engineering, computational biology, and AI talent to strengthen biodefense systems, ahead of a rapidly changing threat landscape.

We’re hiring across all roles - come join us on one of the most timely missions in AI.

Link to full article: https://t.co/TVhO4fp8A8

[Boris Power @BorisMPower]

A very important and necessary effort in biodefense!

[Jason Kwon @jasonkwon]

One of the greatest opportunities in AI safety and security is the chance to help support the creation of new industry verticals that help maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. The technology is moving fast. One of the best ways to keep up is with more technology, more research, more startups and more entrepreneurship. An industrial ecosystem of builders, companies and solutions further democratizes AI to provide broad resilience, and ensures the US continues to lead as AI increasingly powers everything around us.

As AI and biotech rapidly advance, biodefense is one of those verticals. We couldn’t be more excited to back @ValthosTech @kath_mcmahon and their team of ex-Palantir and ex-Deepmind engineers and operators, and world class computational biologists from the @broadinstitute and @arcinstitute. They are pushing the frontier of protection and defense in one of the most strategic intersections of multiple world-changing technologies, and with the team to do it.

Also excited to partner with @foundersfund @Lux_Capital @Definition_Cap on this. Looking forward to more.

[Ian Hathaway @ianhathaway_]

AI is set to help unlock biology at unprecedented speed, and we need this acceleration to yield more cures than threats

Proud to back @kath_mcmahon and @ValthosTech to redefine biodefense for the AI era !

[Sholto Douglas @_sholtodouglas]

LFG - biology is the threat model I'm most worried that our world is vulnerable to in the near term - super excited for Tess and co to tilt the offence/defence scales back

[Tess van Stekelenburg @velvetatom]

Spent three years looking for a team in Biodefense to invest in. But never found one. So we built it ourselves.

Valthos builds next-generation biodefense.

As AI and biotech rapidly advance, we're approaching near-universal access to tools with the potential to cure humanity or make biological weapons.

We have a short period of time to ensure that our capabilities to protect advance faster than the threats we face.

At Valthos, we apply frontier methods to identify threats and compress the time from a biological sequence to validated medical countermeasures.

Excited to share more with you all soon. Grateful to start Valthos with $30M in backing from @OpenAI @Lux_Capital @foundersfund, and many others incl. @Definition_Cap @topology_vc

We are actively hiring - if you know engineers interested in solving this mission, reach out [email protected].

[Nathan Calvin @_NathanCalvin]

Really great and important initiative - i criticize OAI when I believe they are straying from their mission but this is an example of an area where they are head and shoulders above many of their peers and we need far more programs like this

[Valthos @ValthosTech]

@jdunnmon We appreciate you, @jdunnmon !

[Michelle Fang @michejafang]

One of our greatest risks is AI-enabled biological threats.

As models advances, it’s becoming easier to design a weapon than a cure.
Proud to back @ValthosTech — @kath_mcmahon, @velvetatom, and team advancing America’s speed and ability to design precision therapeutics

🧬⚛️ 🚀

[Jared Dunnmon @jdunnmon]

Excited that such a great team is working on this. Addressing an ever-expanding attack surface will be a critical to building a secure AI-enabled bioeconomy. If this interests you, definitely reach out to the @ValthosTech team — there’s no time like the present!

[Victor M. @vict_or_mao]

If you work within AI x Bio, if you have pre-/post-training experience for LLMs, if you like distributed infrastructure/deployment, if you appreciate scaling compute and algorithms, or if this just sounds interesting - please reach out! My inbox is wide open. (2/2)

[Victor M. @vict_or_mao]

The ability to anticipate and act on the trajectory of natural and even man-made biological threats is a critical defense capability, and AI advancements only make it even more so. (1/2)

[Joshua Achiam @jachiam0]

Building capacity for biodefense is critical; this is the kind of thing that makes me proud to be at OpenAI.

[Matt Hancock @MattHancock]

I don’t post much on X but this is an absolute must-read from @ValthosTech - a brilliant team tackling one of the biggest risks of AI to humanity

Congratulations on the funding - much work to do

[Wojciech Zaremba @woj_zaremba]

Super excited for OpenAI to supporting growth of AI safety ecosystem -- in this case bio-defense.

[Kathleen McMahon @kath_mcmahon]

I’ll be on @tbpn at 4:05 ET / 1:05 PT to chat about @ValthosTech and what we’re building for American biodefense! 🇺🇸🇺🇸