Interview: Nícia Ferreira, PURR.AI. Unlocking the Brain’s Secrets with AI to Fight Neurological Disease

The interview with Nícia Ferreira, Co-Founder at PURR.AI, a startup from Portugal, that is creating an AI-powered platform revolutionizing drug discovery for age-related neurological diseases.

You can listen to the episode with Nícia Ferreira on EmpoWomen Podcast:

Or read the interview.

Elevator Pitch

Thank you for the invitation. At PURR.AI, we are using advanced AI technologies to accelerate drug discovery, with a focus on challenging age-related neurological diseases. We combine molecular modeling, predictive AI, and bioinformatic tools to identify effective treatments faster and more accurately. We hope to inspire more people, especially women and girls, to come into the deep tech side of science.

Why does this problem matter to you personally?

The slow pace of traditional drug discovery leaves millions suffering from neurodegenerative diseases without effective treatments. We know that in the next 30 years, two out of every five people in the world will have at least one of these conditions after the age of 65. That’s a huge problem that we urgently need to deal with.

This matters deeply to me because I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact of losing who you are. My grandmother has Alzheimer’s, and I’ve witnessed the impact of neurological disease on her, our family, and society. Accelerating the discovery process means fewer people will suffer and lose themselves unnecessarily to disease.

How does the solution work, in simple terms?

At PURR.AI, we use AI to significantly speed up the discovery process for new medicines. Think of our technology as an intelligent search device specifically designed to find drugs. It digitally scans thousands of potential compounds and predicts which ones are most likely to work, cutting years off the traditional trial-and-error processes that pharmaceutical companies currently use. By reducing this time, we can get therapeutics developed and delivered to patients much faster. Our major clients are pharma companies, but smaller biotechs and other contract research organizations (CROs) can also benefit from our platform.

Was there a specific moment that triggered the creation of the idea?

The idea for PURR.AI came from a deep personal and professional frustration that my co-founder, Irina, and I both felt. We worked together in academia—she was one of my PhD supervisors—and we were used to developing high-potential solutions that often remained at an academic research level, never making it to the wider world.We knew that AI could predict complex biological interactions, and we saw an opportunity to contribute more to society than just academic research. That was the breakthrough moment that convinced us we could provide truly valuable input to the pharmaceutical industry and, most importantly, to the patients.

Where does the name “PURR.AI” come from?

People are often curious about the name, and some think it’s cat-related! But PURR.AI is an acronym for “Pick Your Brain.” When we first developed the idea, we weren’t as focused on branding and marketing, but the name meant a lot to us because, with these diseases, we are literally trying to understand and “pick” the brain. It has grown on me, and now I can’t imagine our company being called anything else.

What makes your technology unique compared to others in the field?

What’s unique about PURR.AI’s approach is our combination of proprietary models and the biological reasoning engines we’ve developed. High-quality data is central to everything we do. We have a deep focus on curating expert and proprietary data to feed our AI models, because without it, the algorithms won’t provide the answers we need.

We don’t have any direct competition because of how we position ourselves. Most companies in the AI drug discovery field are either too specialized—focusing only on one small part of the market—or they are too broad, claiming they can solve all diseases. We know there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, especially for complex, multifactorial problems like neurological disorders. We position ourselves as a “one-stop solution” for preclinical drug discovery specifically for age-related neurological disorders.

What are the biggest challenges in the work that you do?

The human brain is incredibly difficult to mimic, model, and understand. If we don’t fully understand the brain in its healthy state, understanding it in a diseased state is even harder. This complexity is what demands innovative solutions like ours and continuously pushes us to refine our models. We are always iterating and integrating multiple layers of biological data—not just proteins, but all the diverse molecules in the brain—so we can mimic its complexity as accurately as possible in our computational experiments. It’s a very complex process, and the first critical step is done on the computer, followed by validation in traditional experimental labs.

What is your team and how did you build it?

My co-founders and I understood early on that we couldn’t wear every hat forever. No problem this big can be solved by just three people. We decided to focus on building a team that shared our company’s mindset. We started by hiring R&D experts in AI, computational biology, neuroscience, and software engineering.

Now, we are at a different stage. Our R&D team is nearly complete, and we recognize the need to bring in experts in sales and marketing. We have solid products, and now we need brilliant people who can show the world what we do. Currently, I am the only founder working full-time, and we have six team members, growing to eight in September.

How far are you in the process? Do you have customers yet?

We are getting recognized for the work we do and are focused on closing a partnership that will validate our technology and establish trust and traction in the market. We don’t have any closed contracts yet, but we are working as fast as we can and hope to be closing some deals to prove our technology in pharmaceutical settings by the end of the year.

What has your journey as a female founder in deep tech been like?

Being a female co-founder in deep tech is rewarding, but it is indeed challenging. I’ve learned that resilience is the most important characteristic you must develop. The biggest problem is skepticism. We really have to face skepticism and recognize the importance of building strong, supportive networks, like the EmpoWomen program, where we can share our stories and support each other. I never think of being a female as a disadvantage; I just try to be as clear as I can and speak the language of everyone who is listening.

What ecosystem elements have helped you learn how to build a startup?

Networking and acceleration programs have been essential. We are incubated at the Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), which has been a great support. You can never have enough networking or join enough bootcamps in the first few years, because you learn about subjects from many different perspectives. The most important things are to build your network and listen to people who know more than you. I cannot tell you how much I’ve learned in the past two years.

How do you approach fundraising since you are not yet selling?

Right now, we have over €1 million in non-dilutive funding, which is how we’ve been able to build our team and develop our activities. My advice for the early stage is to apply for everything: all programs, grants, and fellowships. Most will say no, but you will learn from the feedback. The ones that say yes will bring expertise, knowledge, or money. Now that we are scaling, we understand that we have to raise a round, especially since the pharma industry is slow to close deals. We are currently closing a €2 million round, hopefully in September or October.

How did you learn about the EmpoWomen program?

We are always searching extensively for new programs, and EmpoWomen is very highly spoken of in female entrepreneurship ecosystems. The program’s commitment to empowering women in deep tech motivated us to apply. We knew we would get so much out of it, from leadership skills to strategic growth advice, which is even more valuable than the money. The sessions on negotiations and fundraising have been invaluable, especially as we are currently raising our round.

What is the dream for PURR.AI?

The dream, of course, is seeing a therapeutic come from the work we do. I cannot express how much it would mean to me to tell my daughter that I was a part of that. Seeing it succeed would mean the world to me personally and to our entire team. Being able to do this from Portugal and be pivotal in the drug discovery pipeline would be an incredible achievement.

What would you recommend to other women in deep tech?

Build a support network early on. Have someone you can be completely open with. Surround yourself with mentors, advisors, and peers who can lift you up but also challenge your views. And never, ever underestimate the value you bring to the table. Don’t let anyone say you are not enough, and always be resilient about your unique perspective. Listen, but do not submit.

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