Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Acquires EvolutionaryScale, Bolstering AI-Driven Biology Research

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) has acquired EvolutionaryScale, a life science artificial intelligence startup, integrating its team and advanced AI models into CZI's Biohub to accelerate biomedical discovery. The acquisition, announced on Thursday, November 6, 2025, marks a significant step in CZI's strategic pivot to focus heavily on AI and scientific research aimed at understanding and combating disease. EvolutionaryScale's co-founder and chief scientist, Alex Rives, will now lead Biohub's science efforts.

EvolutionaryScale, founded by former researchers from Meta's AI research lab, FAIR, began developing generative AI models for protein exploration in 2019. The company secured a substantial $142 million seed funding round in June 2024. This round was led by prominent investors Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, and Lux Capital, with additional participation from Amazon and NVentures, NVIDIA’s corporate venture arm, highlighting strong investor confidence in its innovative approach to AI in biology.

The startup's frontier AI model, ESM3, was also released in 2024 and is designed to generate novel proteins for applications in drug discovery and materials science. According to Alex Rives, "ESM3 takes a step toward a future of biology where AI is a tool to engineer from first principles." The integration of EvolutionaryScale's technology and expertise is expected to significantly enhance CZI's efforts in building virtual cell models and other AI-powered tools to simulate biological processes and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.

CZI's renewed focus on science and AI reflects a broader restructuring of its philanthropic endeavors, moving away from some social justice and policy initiatives. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have emphasized their commitment to leveraging AI to "cure, prevent or manage all disease," with Biohub becoming the primary vehicle for this ambitious mission. The acquisition underscores the growing trend of applying large-scale AI to fundamental biological challenges, aiming to revolutionize research and development in health and environmental science.