Deniz Kavi
| Deniz Kavi | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, software engineer |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Tamarind Bio |
| Education | Stanford University (Computer Science) |
Deniz Kavi is an American entrepreneur and software engineer who is the co-founder and CEO of Tamarind Bio, an artificial intelligence inference platform for drug discovery. The company, which participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch, provides computational biology tools that allow scientists to run machine learning models for molecular design and simulation without needing to manage complex computing infrastructure.[1]
Early life and education
Kavi studied computer science at Stanford University, where he conducted research in computational biology. While at Stanford, he also worked as a software engineer at the Stanford School of Medicine, an experience that exposed him to the challenges researchers faced in deploying AI and bioinformatics tools for biological research.[2] It was at Stanford that he met his co-founder, Sherry Liu.[3]
Career
Kavi co-founded Tamarind Bio in 2023 alongside Sherry Liu. The company builds a web-based platform and API that enables scientists to access and run computational biology tools at scale through a simplified interface. Rather than requiring researchers to set up high-performance computing environments or manage DevOps processes, Tamarind allows users to run machine learning models such as AlphaFold for tasks including protein structure prediction, molecular simulation, and de novo molecular design by selecting inputs through the platform.[4]
The company participates in several sectors including AI-powered drug discovery, software as a service (SaaS), and biotechnology. Its platform is used by tens of thousands of researchers across large pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and academic institutions globally.[5]
Tamarind Bio participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch. In early 2026, the company secured a $13.6 million Series A funding round to further develop its platform and expand AI accessibility for biological research.[6] The company has been featured in Forbes as an example of a startup building infrastructure for AI in the biotechnology sector.[7]
References
- ↑ "Tamarind Bio – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Tamarind Bio Secures $13.6M Series A to Make AI More Accessible for Biology". 'Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "The Startup Building An Operating System For Biotech AI". 'Forbes}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Tamarind Bio". 'Tamarind Bio}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Tamarind Bio – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Tamarind Bio Secures $13.6M Series A to Make AI More Accessible for Biology". 'Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "The Startup Building An Operating System For Biotech AI". 'Forbes}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.