How their mother’s death spurred two brothers to speed up the drug discovery process through AI

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomeInnovationHow their mother's death spurred two brothers to speed up the drug discovery process through AITheir Ontario startup aims get life-saving treatments on the market quicker by streamlining researchLast updated 40 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Co-founders and brothers, from left: chief executive Guru Singh and Satya Singh, chief technology officer at Kitchener, Ont.-based Scispot.io Inc. Photo by Contributed/Scispot.io Inc.An Ontario startup aims to speed up drug discovery workflows for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s with artificial intelligence.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountFounded by brothers Guru and Satya Singh in 2020, Kitchener, Ont.-based Scispot.io Inc. is developing an AI-powered software system, called Scibot Omega, to automate life science organizations’ lab work such as documentation, sample tracking, and analysis. The platform bridges existing software systems, machines, notes and lab information systems into one unified program with the aim of freeing up lab workers to concentrate on experiments, consolidating data and speeding up lab management.The brothers began the process of building the company following their mother’s death in 2011. The drug that could have saved her life was still years away from commercial availability, and that experience shaped the company’s mission to help bring potentially life-saving solutions to people faster, he said.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAccording to a 2026 industry analysis by California-based clinical data and analytics company Saama Technologies, it generally takes a minimum of 10 years and US$2 billion or more to develop a new drug.This leaves tens of thousands of patients with diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s waiting for life-saving treatments, said Scispot chief executive and co-founder, Guru Singh.“To find one winning drug, many candidates must fail,” said Singh. With the company’s software, “We are helping these labs find discrepancies that can be flagged in real time. Researchers can flag it, find the root cause in the analysis and make a decision. If we can help labs fail fast, they can bring the right candidate faster and it will be cheaper, too.”While traditional laboratory software stores data and documents, Scispot’s platform also manages samples, analyzes findings and creates reports through specialized AI agents.“Scispot acts like an orchestration engine that connects many software apps and hundreds of spreadsheets, electronic lab notes and management systems,” said Singh.Their device connects software and hardware tools so that customers can access a detailed history of data samples and experiments, he added.While the company’s broader vision is to make routine lab work “self-driving,” scientists and lab operators will maintain control over judgment, verification and decision-making, Singh said.The company can automate 80 to 90 per cent of digital operations depending on the lab. Early-stage labs that are not standardized, such as biotech startup labs, have a lower automation capability, of about 50 per cent, he said.Scispot’s platform is used in more than 100 life science labs across Canada and the United States, with 75 per cent of customers based in the U.S. The company did not provide revenue or valuation numbers, and aims to continue scaling within North America in the coming years.In 2021, the University of Waterloo’s Velocity Incubator backed the company’s product with a $25,000 grant and access to resources, helping the startup gain its initial footing into the Waterloo tech ecosystem.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Also in 2021, U.S. accelerator Y Combinator granted Scispot US$125,000 in exchange for seven per cent equity, to help scale its platform.‍In 2026, the company raised a US$8 million Series A round, led by Washington, D.C.-based Avenue Growth Partners LLC with participation from Breakwater Ventures Management LLC. The funding will support the expansion of its AI technology and Canadian engineering teams.While the 34-person company is also backed by U.S. investors and operates commercially in both Canada and the U.S., Singh said they intend to continue building in Canada and prioritizing hiring Canadian talent.Only 10 per cent of labs are currently standardized enough to benefit from automation. But AI use in the life-science industry is projected to reach US$69.34 billion by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of 26.3 per cent, according to a 2026 report by India-based market research company MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd. Singh predicted AI operating systems in labs will likely be standard by 2031.Another barrier is a scarcity of talent.“Canada has a small population, and it needs more skilled people,” said Singh. “A lot of problems can be solved by creating AI coworkers in a country with enormous resources and a small population.”The company aims for its AI-based software to ultimately meet aggressive goals.“Aspirationally, we want to move drug development to months rather than years, but we’re not there yet,” said Singh.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.