Life is programmed by three classes of biopolymers: polynucleotides (DNA/RNA), polypeptides (proteins), and polysaccharides (glycans). We’ve learned to “write” genes and proteins like software, but glycosylation is still a finicky, expensive manufacturing problem. That’s a big deal: the wrong glycan can slash an antibody’s efficacy, trigger allergic reactions, or turn a multi-million-dollar batch into scrap. And it’s everywhere, 50%+ of newly approved drugs are glycosylated.

Augment Biologics has built a first-of-its-kind AI foundation model for glycoprogramming: predicting a handful of non-obvious amino-acid edits (e.g., ~4 changes in a 1,500-aa protein) that reliably encode precise, valuable glycosylation in the product itself — reducing reliance on fragile bioreactor control. This unlocks a >$200B U.S. monoclonal antibody market, protecting franchises like Merck’s Keytruda and refreshing aging blockbusters.

It works — In a first set of 10 tested sequences for a never-seen-before glycosylation modification, 5+ constructs blew past the biomanufacturing state of the art and left behind in the dust a current blockbuster drug produced from human blood donations We went from 0% to 80% of critical glycosylation!

Already, Augment is in talks with 5 top pharmaceutical companies and has signed a partnership agreement with a leading CDMO. We are incredibly excited about this company – not only for the fundamental problems it can solve for the biomanufacturing and biotherapeutics markets – but also for the broad business opportunity that Augment faces. This is a platform company with enormous leverage.