BenchSci opens UK base in Cambridge

BenchSci, a biomedical start-up founded in 2015 by University of Toronto alumni, has set up its UK headquarters at Bateman House on Hills Road.

Using AI and proprietary visual machine learning, BenchSci has delivered the world’s first evidence-backed map of disease biology.

Its AI platform, ASCEND, is a preclinical R&D that harnesses patented machine learning technology trained by scientists to extract experiment evidence from internal and external data sources. The idea is that if you know what’s happened already you can understand the feasibility of what is yet to be discovered.

The new BenchSci UK headquarters totals 3,000 sq ft and is set over two floors of what was an empty 1970s shell.

Bryn Knox, BenchSci’s chief financial officer & chief people officer, said: “We are delighted to be officially opening our new Cambridge office, and look forward to continuing to build our ASCEND offering and UK presence with our incredibly talented UK team.”

London-based design companyTrifle was tasked with creating the look and feel of Cambridge’s newest facility. Its team struck a balance between focused desk space, areas for virtual meetings and communal settings for temporary work and informal collaboration.

Encouraging staff to gather over food and drinks, to socialise and to work in informal groups is important to BenchSci. The response by Trifle was a multifunctional space on the first floor “which works hard, despite an overall appearance of a welcoming and laid-back members club”.

A Trifle spokesperson said: “It was such a pleasure to design for a client that valued so highly the importance of creating a positive, enriching environment for their staff.

“We are delighted to have built such a great relationship with BenchSci so quickly, which enabled us to deliver a space that has been totally transformed, represents their brand and will serve them well for years to come.”

A spokesperson for BenchSci said: “The interior is geared to attracting and retaining staff in a ‘remote first’ company with the style of a club and hang-out, within the original 1970s office building.”

The spokesperson added: “Trifle has just completed the Toronto office now, which they were invited to do based on the designs and concept for the Cambridge HQ.”

In May, BenchSci raised $95m in a Series D funding round led by Generation Investment Management, to enable drug discovery at scale with its ground-breaking ASCEND technology.