Cellular Intelligence, formerly known as Somite AI, has expanded its scientific advisory board with Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna, and Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist. Joining them are Jens Nielsen from the BioInnovation Institute and Fabian Theis from Helmholtz Munich. Langer will also serve as an observer on the company’s board of directors.
The startup focuses on cell fate engineering, utilizing a proprietary capsule-based platform to analyze cell responses to biochemical signals. The system has scaled to over 1 million unique signal combinations, reportedly offering 1,000x the throughput of traditional methods. This data trains transformer-style AI models designed to predict dynamic cellular behavior.
In May 2026, the company acquired the STEM-PD Parkinson’s disease therapy program from Novo Nordisk, which has received FDA Fast Track designation and is prepared for Phase 2 clinical trials. Novo Nordisk also made a strategic equity investment in the company as part of the acquisition agreement.
Total funding for Cellular Intelligence is between $62 million and $70 million. A $47 million Series A round in May 2025 was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and AMD Ventures. The company was founded between 2023 and 2024 by Micha Breakstone and professors from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Washington.
