AI Discovery Award

AI Discovery by Nebius is an annual award for startups that are leveraging AI to revolutionize drug discovery, biotechnology, genomics and healthtech.

Our mission is to spotlight new technologies, foster collaboration between startups and potential investors and propel the next generation of breakthroughs in healthcare.

Apply until April 30, 2025, and compete for $100,000 in cloud credits!

Award categories

AI in Drug Discovery

Transforming how we discover and develop new treatments.

AI in Biotech

Innovations at the intersection of biology and technology.

Genomics & Multiomics

Advancements in genetic and molecular analysis.

Healthtech

Revolutionizing healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Preliminary timeline

April 30, 2025

Applications submission deadline

May 11, 2025

Announcement of the finalists

May 12–30, 2025

Final consideration

June 2025

Official award ceremony

Winners receive

GPU cloud credits

$100,000 for the 1st place; $50,000 for the 2nd and $30,000 for the 3rd

Media exposure and promotion

Benefit from media exposure and digital promotion.

Introduction to our friendly VCs

Pitch your idea to potential investors from our trusted network.

Mentorship session

Verify ideas and get valuable insights with Nebius C level management.

SWAG and trophies

Get exclusive merch and a winner’s trophy to celebrate your success.

Prizes for everyone

All participants receive a SWAG package and free inference credits for AI Studio.

Who can apply

Each participant should have a legal entity, a functioning website, product MVP and GTM strategy.

Startups developing AI products in fields such as drug discovery, biotech, genomics and healthtech

Bootstrapped, self-funded and funded startups at any stage from pre-seed up to and including Series C.

Qualification criteria

AI powered

The product uses advanced AI/ML technologies for model training or inference and manages HPC workloads effectively.

Technological innovation

The product or service advances the industry by introducing new capabilities or significant improvements.

Functionality and advantages

The product offers superior or unique functionality, providing a competitive edge and enhancing business processes.

Performance and efficiency

The product delivers measurable results with clear metrics or case studies, improving customer performance effectively.

Global impact

The product addresses unique needs and solves specific problems, creating meaningful value on a global scale.

Market potential and business sustainability

The product demonstrates strong market demand and long-term potential, ensuring growth opportunities and a sustainable competitive advantage.

Judging committee

To join the judging committee, please reach out to dpol@nebius.com.

Dr. Ilya Burkov

Nebius

PhD, MSc, BEng. Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Lead at Nebius with former clinical experience at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and cloud expertise from AWS. Passionate about AI in Life Sciences.

Cedric Steenbeke

NVIDIA

A healthcare tech expert with 15+ years of experience, leads NVIDIA’s Healthcare & Life Sciences startup ecosystem in EMEA. Previously at Microsoft, he shaped healthcare data platforms and AI adoption, driving digital health innovation.

Pavel Sinitcyn, PhD

Utrecht University

Assistant Professor in AI Technology for Life, and Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry groups at Utrecht University.

Dr. Andrew Buchanan

AstraZeneca

Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca with 25 years in commercial R&D. An expert in biologics targeting (ADC & RC), AI/ML innovation, and mentoring. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2020), co-author of 40+ papers and patents.

Lev Kogon, PhD

Nykode Therapeutics

PhD in Health Economics. Biotech and pharma leader with 15+ years of global experience in strategy, business development, and licensing. VP at Nykode Therapeutics. Worked for Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo and GSK.

Artemy Shumskiy

LongeVC

Senior Associate at LongeVC with profound academic and industry experience in oncology and aging biotechnology.

Yuriy Gankin, PhD

Quantori

PhD from Tufts University and an EMBA from MIT Sloan. Business leader, entrepreneur and life sciences expert with over 20 years of experience. At Quantori, he drives domain expertise and platform development. Co-founder of GGA Software Services and SciVision, and Felicitex Therapeutics.

Piotr Faba

Ardigen

Director of Software Engineering at Ardigen. Data management leader in drug discovery and development, specializing in AI-ready, cloud-native and data-centric solutions. Expert in data integration, MLOps, and advanced analytics in cloud and hybrid environments. Background in biomedical engineering.

Anna Kostikova, PhD

Monte Rosa Therapeutics

PhD in computational biology and bioinformatics. Biotech and pharma leader with 15+ years of experience in AI-driven drug discovery and development. Senior Director at Monte Rosa Therapeutics. Co-founder and CSO at Asylia Diagnostics and InsideDNA. Worked for Novartis.

Tatiana Tatarinova

University of La Verne

Experienced biological expert, an Associate Professor, Biology & Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair In Computational Biology, University of La Verne.

Ram Bulusu

Warp9Ai, Alert AI

AI and Biotech innovator, leader, mentor, and advisor to VCs and startup founders. Expert in AI and Generative AI product management, go-to-market strategy and dealmaking, thought leader and keynote speaker. Two-time startup founder.

Dr. Ajay Singh

HCLTech

Global Director & Head of AI at HCLTech DPO, leads AI initiatives across industries. With 19+ years in AI, ML, RPA, and Low Code, he drives innovation, holds AI patents, and builds strategic tech partnerships to deliver business impact.

Eric Yang

Medidata Solutions

Senior Director of Data Science at Medidata Solutions, has 17+ years in pharma and healthcare, holding key roles at Aetna, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Covance and Harvard Medical School. He specializes in AI-driven drug discovery and Alzheimer’s research.

Claire Johnson

Nucleate

VP of AI in Biotech at Nucleate, Co-Director at GSAS Harvard Biotech Club, and PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School. Profound expertise in bioinformatics, venture capital and AI-driven biotech innovations. Passionate about genomics and biomedical AI.

Apply now

FAQ

Applications submission deadline is on April 30, 2025.

Start your AI journey today