Daniel Cohen
AI pioneer in drug discovery and biotech entrepreneur
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Summary
Daniel Cohen is a leading figure in applying artificial intelligence to drug discovery, currently serving as President of Valence Labs at Recursion. He co-founded Valence Discovery, which leveraged deep learning to streamline pharmaceutical R&D, leading to its acquisition by Recursion for $47.5M. His expertise spans generative chemistry, few-shot learning, and molecular design. citeline+3
With a robust academic foundation from McGill University in Cognitive Science (Neuroscience and Computer Science) and Computational Neuroscience, Daniel combines deep scientific understanding with entrepreneurial drive. He has prior experience in biotech investing with Front Row Ventures and Lumira Capital, demonstrating a holistic view of the life sciences ecosystem from research to venture building. startupfest+3
As a co-founder and CEO, Daniel successfully scaled Valence Discovery from its inception at Mila (Quebec AI Institute) under the guidance of AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio. Under his leadership, the company secured significant seed funding and achieved recognition, including winning Startupfest, before its strategic acquisition. This highlights his strong leadership, strategic vision, and ability to attract top talent and investment. amplifycapital+3