Biorce Raises $52.5 Million Series A to Transform Clinical Trials with AI Platform
核心洞察
Barcelona-based Biorce (搜索) closed a $52.5 million Series A round led by DST Global Partners (搜索) to accelerate its AI-driven clinical trials platform internationally.
The company's Aika (搜索) platform aims to reduce clinical trial costs by over 50% and accelerate therapy development by up to 50% using AI built on 1 million clinical trials.
Biorce (搜索) plans to expand to 250 employees by 2026 and establish a U.S. R&D hub in Austin, Texas, targeting the $120 billion global clinical trials market.
Barcelona-based Biorce (搜索) has closed a $52.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the international expansion of its artificial intelligence platform designed to transform clinical trial design and execution. The round was led by DST Global Partners (搜索), with participation from existing investors Norrsken VC (搜索) and YZR Capital (搜索), alongside Mustard Seed Maze (搜索) and Endeavor Catalyst (搜索).
The funding represents the largest Series A ever completed in the Iberian HealthTech and AI ecosystem, according to the company. Over a 12-month period, Biorce (搜索) has raised over $60 million in total funding, including €8.5 million in seed investment and the current Series A round.
Addressing Clinical Trial Inefficiencies
Clinical trials currently take nearly 11 years and cost €5.2 billion ($6.2 billion) to bring a drug to market, with 57% facing costly protocol amendments that add months of delay. According to SNS Insider data cited by Biorce (搜索), clinical trials management represents an estimated $120 billion in global annual spend.
Each protocol amendment typically halts patient recruitment for an average of six weeks and adds between €500,000 and €1 million in costs, resulting in billions of euros in annual expenditure across the industry. The company identifies a core challenge where many teams struggle to clearly justify their design decisions to regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EMA, leading to reviews, delays, and additional amendments.
Aika AI Platform Technology
Biorce (搜索) has developed Aika (搜索), an AI platform that aims to reduce clinical trial preparation timelines and protocol amendments, accelerating the development of new therapies by up to 50%. The platform is built upon a proprietary data foundation of approximately 1 million clinical trials and enables pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and contract research organizations (CROs) to design better trials faster.
"Most AI solutions ask you to trust algorithms you can't explain. We built the opposite. Every Aika (搜索) recommendation comes with complete documentation that you can defend before any regulatory authority. Our 'human-in-the-loop' approach ensures the expert stays in control," the company stated.
The platform streamlines protocol development, site selection, and feasibility assessment, with the goal of reducing complexity, accelerating timelines, and improving operational efficiency. Aika (搜索) is already in use across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology (搜索), neurology (搜索), and rare diseases (搜索).
Expansion Plans and Market Impact
Pedro Coelho, CEO of Biorce (搜索), commented: "This $52 million round reflects both the scale of the problem we are addressing and the market's confidence in our vision. Clinical trial delays and inefficiencies cost time, money, and ultimately lives. Our mission is to make trials faster, more reliable, and more accessible, so patients can benefit from new treatments sooner."
The company plans to expand its team to approximately 250 employees by the end of 2026, with a focus on scaling engineering and commercial teams. Biorce (搜索) is preparing to launch a development and R&D hub in Austin, Texas, to strengthen its presence in the United States and position closer to leading pharmaceutical and biotech ecosystems.
Financial Performance and Product Development
Biorce (搜索) reported ending last year at approximately 200% above its revenue target. The company is finalizing a move to larger offices in Barcelona, formerly AstraZeneca's headquarters in the city.
In the first quarter of 2026, the team will focus on strengthening Aika (搜索)'s protocol intelligence capabilities and introducing new modules such as contract management and negotiation tools. Additional features will support budget negotiation and operational planning to further simplify trial execution.
Tove Larsson, General Partner at Norrsken VC (搜索) and Board Member, stated: "The platform is already seeing strong global demand, proving it can materially reduce timelines and costs for pharma and, more importantly, bring new treatments to patients faster than previously possible. Their expansion into the U.S. is a natural next step and further cements the company's trajectory toward becoming a category-defining force in clinical research."