Investment in Metaphore Biotechnologies, Inc., Developer of an AI Drug Discovery Platform for Functional Antibodies

TOHO Ventures, managed by Global Brain Corporation (hereinafter 'Global Brain'), announces that it has executed an investment in Metaphore Biotechnologies, Inc. (Headquarters: US / hereinafter 'Metaphore'), a company developing an AI drug discovery platform for functional antibodies.

Metaphore is a next-generation antibody drug discovery company founded by Flagship Pioneering in the US. The company's 'MIMIC™' platform builds a proprietary AI drug discovery system that designs antibodies based on biological 'function' in vivo, unlike traditional drug discovery that relies on the 3D structures of proteins. By integrating and analyzing large-scale functional data obtained from live cells and dynamic protein interaction information with AI, this platform makes it possible to create agonist antibodies and multifunctional antibodies that are difficult to design using only 3D structural information. In particular, it boasts strengths in molecular optimization speed and design capabilities that elicit high potency. Currently, the company aims to create next-generation antibody drugs by advancing a pipeline targeting multiple disease areas with high unmet medical needs.

Global Brain highly evaluated Metaphore's drug discovery foundation—which fuses the new design philosophy of a function-based drug discovery approach with advanced AI technology—as well as its team of proven scientists and management, leading to the investment decision. Moving forward, in collaboration with Toho Holdings Co., Ltd., we will support Metaphore's mid- to long-term growth.

About Metaphore Company Name: Metaphore Biotechnologies, Inc. Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Representative: Angela Hwang Established: 2021 Business Description: Development of functional antibody drugs and drug discovery platforms URL: https://metaphorebio.com/

About TOHO Ventures Registered Name: TOHO-GB Global Life Science Fund, L.P. Total Fund Size: 10 Billion JPY Management Period: 10 Years General Partner: Global Brain Corporation Limited Partner: Toho Holdings Co., Ltd. Investment Areas: Drug discovery, medical devices, etc.

About Global Brain Company Name: Global Brain Corporation Location: 2-17-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Representative: Yasuhiko Yurimoto, President and CEO Established: January 1998 Business Description: Venture capital business URL: https://globalbrains.com