WSJ Tech News Briefing · Thursday, October 1, 2026
Red Queen Bio was founded in 2025 by Hanu Raianiemi and Nikolai Arashenko, who recognized the dual potential of AI in biology. The company raised $15 million in its initial funding round that year, with OpenAI among the investors, and received a substantial follow-on investment in 2026.
“So the origin of Red Queen Bile really dates back to an early meeting in 2025, when the founders, Hanu Raianiemi and Nikolai Arashenko, were seeing the emerging capabilities of AI's ability to do biology.”
“In 2025, they raised $15 million from a group, including OpenAI and other players.”
“And then in 2026, OpenAI made a substantial follow-on investment along with others.”