Ditto Biosciences
Winter 2026 NewEvolutionary intelligence for autoimmune disease
Ditto Bio discovers drugs for autoimmune diseases by harnessing parasite biology. Viruses, ticks, and worms have experimented over millions of years to create proteins that control the human immune system. We use AI to identify these proteins and engineer them into next-generation autoimmune therapies. Our team is three PhD scientists from UCSF, UCSD, and UC Berkeley who have worked together for 3+ years in biotech. We have deep expertise in parasite biology, computational biology, and software for AI-based protein structure prediction
AI Investor Summary
Ditto Biosciences is developing a novel platform for autoimmune disease drug discovery by leveraging evolutionary intelligence from parasites, identified and engineered using AI. With a strong founding team of PhD scientists from top institutions and experience in biotech operations, they are targeting a massive market with a differentiated approach. Early validation through positive press and YC inclusion signals promise, though the inherent risks of drug development remain.
Key Highlights
- ● Innovative approach using evolutionary biology and AI to tackle autoimmune diseases.
- ● Founders possess strong academic credentials and relevant industry experience, including operational roles.
- ● Significant TAM in the autoimmune disease market with unmet needs.
- ● Positive early press and inclusion in YC batch suggest strong initial validation.
Risk Factors
- ● Drug discovery is inherently high-risk and long-term, with a high failure rate.
- ● Translating complex biological insights from parasites into safe and effective human therapies is a significant challenge.
- ● The competitive landscape is intense, requiring substantial capital and execution to succeed.
- ● Limited public information on Emily Weiss's specific contributions and background.
Founders
Scientist and operator transforming natural proteins into therapies. Trained in evolutionary and developmental biology at Harvard (AB) and UC Berkeley (PhD). Previously led software teams, product development, and scientific partnerships as Chief of Staff at a $500M biotech. Now building a platform to mine proteins from viruses, ticks, and worms that will become the next blockbuster drugs for autoimmune disease.
Entrepreneurial scientist using evolution to build the next generation of therapeutics for autoimmune disease. UCSF-trained PhD with expertise spanning parasitology, virology, and genomics. Published over 50 scientific papers, and is a coinventor on a patent for anti-CRISPR proteins. Former Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley, and previously led a venture creation team at an early stage biotech company. Motivated by a lifelong fascination with parasites.
Emily Weiss is a co-founder of Ditto Biosciences, a Y Combinator startup focused on revolutionizing biological engineering. Her background likely involves a strong foundation in scientific research and development, with a focus on leveraging technology to advance biological solutions. While specific details of her notable achievements and publications are not readily available in public profiles, her role at Ditto Biosciences signifies a commitment to innovation in the biotech space.
Score Breakdown
Strong technical team with deep PhD-level expertise in relevant biological and computational fields from top institutions (UCSF, UCSD, Berkeley, Harvard). Dennis Sun's experience as Chief of Staff at a $500M biotech and Adair Borges' venture creation experience are significant. Emily Weiss's background, while less detailed publicly, is implied to be strong in R&D. The combination of scientific rigor and operational/entrepreneurial experience is a major plus. The prior work at Google/DeepMind for one of the founders is exceptional. [Boost +2: PhD from Berkeley; Founder from Google; PhD from Berkeley]
The autoimmune disease market is massive and growing, with significant unmet needs. The timing is good as AI and deep biological understanding are converging. The regulatory landscape for novel drug discovery can be challenging but also offers opportunities for breakthrough therapies. The competitive landscape is crowded with large pharma and numerous biotechs, but Ditto's unique approach could carve out a niche.
The core idea of leveraging evolutionary intelligence from parasites to discover autoimmune therapies is highly innovative and differentiated. The AI component for identifying and engineering these proteins is a strong technical moat. The 'MoleculeMapper' is a promising early indication of platform potential. Defensibility comes from proprietary AI and the unique biological insights. UX quality is not yet assessable at this stage.
As a Winter 2026 YC batch company, traction is expected to be very early. The positive press coverage and inclusion in 'Top Bio and Health Startups' lists are good signals of early investor and industry interest, but revenue and user metrics are likely non-existent or minimal. Partnerships are also likely in their nascent stages.
News
Ditto Bio is leveraging AI tools like AlphaFold and their MoleculeMapper platform to systematically explore and scale the discovery of therapeutic molecules from unexplored biological sources.
Ditto Bio has launched, focusing on transforming parasite strategies for immune system modulation into novel drug candidates for autoimmune diseases.
Ditto Bio's MoleculeMapper platform is highlighted for its innovative approach to evaluating millions of parasite molecules for therapeutic potential in autoimmune diseases.
Ditto Bio is rated as a 'B Tier' company by YC Tier List, praised for its exceptionally strong scientific founding team and novel approach to autoimmune disease therapeutics, while noting its early-stage, pre-product status.
Ditto Bio is highlighted as a top bio and health startup in Y Combinator's W26 batch for its work on evolutionary therapies for autoimmune disease.
Ditto Bio is developing AI-powered drug discovery that harnesses parasite biology to treat autoimmune diseases by identifying and engineering immunomodulatory proteins evolved by parasites.
Ditto Biosciences, founded in 2025 and based in San Francisco, has raised $500K in seed funding to develop therapies for autoimmune diseases by leveraging parasite biology, identifying proteins from viruses, ticks, and worms to modulate the immune system.
Ditto Biosciences, a Y Combinator Winter 2026 startup, is developing therapies for autoimmune diseases by using AI to identify and engineer proteins from parasites like viruses, ticks, and worms that have evolved to control the human immune system.
Ditto Bio, founded by three PhD scientists, aims to transform parasite strategies for immune system manipulation into breakthrough drugs for autoimmune diseases, leveraging an AI platform to identify and engineer naturally occurring molecules that already work in humans.
Ditto Biosciences details their approach of using their MoleculeMapper platform to analyze parasite proteins, such as those from viruses, to identify potential drug targets and therapeutic molecules for autoimmune diseases, highlighting a viral molecule with a similar mechanism to a blockbuster autoimmune drug.
Ditto Bio announced the addition of Russell Vance, a Professor of Immunology and Pathogenesis at UC Berkeley, as an advisor, alongside other notable experts Liang Schweizer and Jonathan Asfaha, to bolster their efforts in developing autoimmune therapies.
Quick Info
- Batch
- Winter 2026
- Team Size
- 3
- Location
- Unspecified
- Founders
- 3
- Scraped
- 4/10/2026