What is Absci? The AI drugmaker ranked No. 1 on the Roundtable 100

Absci (NASDAQ: ABSI) uses generative AI to design antibody drugs from scratch, replacing years of laboratory trial and error with computational design and then validating the results in its own wet lab. The company opens at No. 1 on the Roundtable 100 with a Power Ranking of 84, scoring 98 on Safety, Growth, and Innovation.

The pipeline is where the story is. Absci reported positive interim Phase 1 data from the HEADLINE trial of ABS-201, its lead program, and expects interim proof-of-concept data in pattern hair loss later this year, with a full 26-week readout in early 2027, according to its second-quarter results.

The financials look like a clinical-stage biotech, not a software company. Second-quarter revenue was $0.3 million, down from $0.6 million a year earlier on the timing of partner milestones, while R&D spending rose to $22.6 million as ABS-201 advanced. The balance sheet is the counterweight: Absci completed a $100 million offering that included a $40 million strategic investment from Eli Lilly, and says its cash now funds operations into the second half of 2028.

The committee's 45 on Market Dominance reflects the obvious: Absci has not yet put a drug on the market. The 98s on Growth and Innovation reflect why it ranks first anyway.

See the full Roundtable 100 list here.

Not investment advice. Rankings reflect the views of Roundtable analysts as of the ranking date.