Apheris closes Series A financing round

The Berlin-based DeepTech start-up Apheris has secured 20.8 million US dollars in a Series A financing round. The investment is intended to drive the development of secure data solutions for the life sciences industry.

Berlin, January 2025 - Berlin-based startup Apheris has closed a Series A financing round and raised a total of 20.8 million dollars. Leading deep tech investors such as OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL led the round. Existing backers such as Octopus Ventures and Heal Capital also participated.

OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL have a deep understanding of the technical challenges in our field. With their support, we will facilitate access to large and diverse data sets and thus fully exploit the potential of AI and machine learning in the industry.

Robin Röhm, CEO of Apheris

Data access for AI and analytics

Apheris, founded in 2019, specializes in federated computing. The company's technology enables data to be used securely for artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics while protecting proprietary rights. Its customers include leading pharmaceutical companies such as Roche and Johnson & Johnson as well as renowned hospitals.

The startup addresses a market worth over 30 billion dollars. The aim is to make it easier for data owners to use sensitive data in shared networks without jeopardizing security and data protection concerns.

The problem of unresolved data islands

According to Apheris, 97% of data in the healthcare sector remains unused. Strict regulations and commercial concerns often prevent data sharing. This lack of access inhibits innovation and breakthroughs in research. The Apheris Compute Gateway software solution takes a new approach: The data remains with the respective owners and can still be used for AI models.

Apheris is revolutionizing the data infrastructure and setting new standards for secure, collaborative AI solutions.

Marcin Hejka, co-founder and partner at OTB Ventures

Expansion thanks to fresh capital

With the new investments, Apheris plans to further expand its reach. The company aims to build the largest and most secure data network for the life sciences by the end of 2025. Another focus is on developing powerful AI models, for example for protein structure prediction, by accessing larger amounts of data. Apheris also wants to provide end-to-end solutions for important use cases in the industry.

Back in 2022, we reported on the Startbase about a successful seed round for the startup.

The investors

OTB Ventures is a European DeepTech investor with a focus on AI, SpaceTech, FinTech and cybersecurity. Founded in 2017, the company manages more than 350 million euros.

eCAPITAL has been supporting DeepTech startups with a focus on sustainability, enterprise software and cybersecurity since 1999. With over 400 million euros in capital, the investor offers strategic support and a broad network.