Writing the documentation required for new drug development is a time-consuming process, often reliant on manual efforts and hindered by a shortage of skilled medical writers. Paris-based Biolevate is addressing this challenge with an AI-powered platform that leverages natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision to streamline medical writing. The company recently raised €6 million in a seed funding round led by EQT Ventures.

CEO Joel Belafa explained to TechCrunch, “Nathan Chen (COO) and I have been friends for 25 years. We've long been frustrated by how slow and complex R&D and market access are for therapeutic products, which has a serious impact on patients and the economy.”

While artificial intelligence is accelerating drug development, documentation remains a bottleneck. Pharmaceutical companies face significant administrative burdens to produce detailed reports that satisfy regulatory requirements.

Belafa and Chen combined their expertise to launch Biolevate’s first prototype, Elise. Chen brought insights into pharmaceutical processes from his experience at Danish healthcare firm Coloplast, while Belafa contributed his background in enterprise AI from his time as an early employee at French AI unicorn Dataiku. Their efforts attracted CTO Anas Laaroussi and CPO Antoine De Torcy, who joined the team to refine the product.

The company’s platform, recognized on Station F’s Future 40 list, uses NLP and computer vision to optimize research and compliance document creation. Acting as an AI assistant, it guides medical writers through material compilation, reducing the time and effort required for document review and correction.

Julien Hobeika, Partner at EQT Ventures, highlighted the platform’s potential, stating, “There’s a significant opportunity in making medical writing more efficient using AI. Biolevate transforms the documentation process into a seamless and effective system, supporting innovation and scientific breakthroughs.”

When asked about future plans, Belafa emphasized flexibility: “If our current strategy doesn’t work, we’ll commercialize our platform as a service for other industries, sell individual models as APIs, or use it for drug discovery professional services.”

Biolevate aims to bridge the gap between AI advancements in drug development and the growing need for efficient medical documentation, streamlining workflows and contributing to faster therapeutic innovation.