Formation Bio

Overview

Formation Bio is an AI-native pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City [1][4]. The company acquires clinical-stage drugs from pharmaceutical companies, universities, and biotech firms, then develops them faster using its proprietary technology platform [3]. Formation Bio was formerly known as TrialSpark [12]. The company operates hybrid teams across four hubs: New York City, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and North Carolina's Research Triangle [4]. Formation Bio is led by co-founder and CEO Ben Liu, alongside co-founder Linhao Zhang and executives including CTO Dan Neil, CSO Michael Ehlers, CFO James Leslie, Chief Business Officer David Steinberg, and General Counsel Sean Childers [5]. The company has raised approximately $615 million from investors including Sam Altman, Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital, a16z, Thrive Capital, Section 32, and John Doerr [6][8]. In its Series D funding round, a16z led a $372 million investment with significant participation from Sanofi [7]. Formation Bio has partnered with Sanofi and OpenAI on AI-powered drug development software [9].

Careers page describes the bright and collaborative NYC headquarters; teams are hybrid across four hubs with New York City as headquarters. [2]

Formation Bio states it is headquartered in New York City, with hybrid teams based in four hubs: New York City, Boston (Back Bay), the San Francisco Bay Area and North Carolina's Research Triangle. [4]

Formation Bio dosed the first participant in a Phase 1 trial of BLKR201, a CNS-penetrant TYK2 inhibitor, on June 9, 2026, having licensed the Phase 1-ready asset from Lynk Pharmaceuticals in December 2025. [11]

Business address: 16 E 34th St, New York, New York, 10016. [13]

Growth & traction

Formation Bio is led by co-founder and CEO Ben Liu, co-founder Linhao Zhang, CTO Dan Neil, CSO and Head of R&D Michael Ehlers, CFO James Leslie, Chief Business Officer David Steinberg and General Counsel Sean Childers. [5]

Formation Bio's press page highlights a Forbes article describing it as a Sam Altman-backed startup that has raised some $615 million, whose CEO is convinced that drug discovery is not the bottleneck. [8]

Funding history

Formation Bio says its investors include Sam Altman, Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital, a16z, Thrive Capital, Section 32 and John Doerr. [6]

Formation Bio secured a $372M Series D led by a16z with significant participation from Sanofi, to grow its drug pipeline and expand its tech and AI platform. [7]

Partnerships

Sanofi, Formation Bio and OpenAI announced a first-in-class AI collaboration to build AI-powered software across the drug development lifecycle. [9]

Formation Bio licensed sprifermin, an investigational first-in-class disease-modifying treatment for osteoarthritis, from Merck KGaA Darmstadt and formed High Line Bio, and separately acquired a clinical-stage immunodermatology portfolio and formed Libertas Bio. [10]