Vancouver-based 3C Therapeutics to apply Variational AI’s Enki™ platform to ligand design for proprietary TriCore DAC platform under Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace program
[Vancouver, Canada – May 13, 2026] – 3C Therapeutics Inc. (“3C”) and Variational AI Inc. (“Variational AI”) today announced a research collaboration to apply Variational AI’s generative AI platform, Enki™, to the design of novel ligands for 3C’s proprietary TriCore Degrader Antibody Conjugate (DAC) platform. The project is supported through the Province of British Columbia’s Integrated Marketplace program, administered by Innovate BC.
Degrader Antibody Conjugates represent one of the most promising new directions in oncology, combining the targeting precision of antibody-based delivery with the catalytic mechanism of targeted protein degradation to reach disease-driving proteins inside cancer cells. By pairing 3C’s TriCore DAC platform with Variational AI’s Enki™ generative AI platform, the collaboration brings together two complementary British Columbia innovations at the frontier of precision oncology and positions B.C. as a meaningful contributor to the next generation of targeted cancer therapeutics. The project represents the first application of Enki™ to DAC payload design, extending Variational AI’s generative approach into proximity-based therapeutics. The collaboration is structured as a staged hit-to-lead workflow, with Variational AI leading ligand design and synthesis and 3C leading downstream degrader development, DAC assembly, and biological evaluation.
“This project extends Enki™ to a new modality. DACs sit at the intersection of biologics and small-molecule design, and generating ligand scaffolds that meet the physicochemical, selectivity, and structural requirements of a DAC payload is a demanding problem. Partnering with 3C lets us validate Enki™ against that problem in a structured, data-generating collaboration.” – Handol Kim, Co-Founder and CEO, Variational AI
Under this project, Enki™ will generate a focused set of ligand candidates optimized against a defined Target Product Profile, which 3C will then integrate into its TriCore platform to build, evaluate, and select a lead DAC candidate.
“TriCore is purpose-built to address targets that conventional ADCs and small-molecule degraders can’t reach. Bringing Enki’s generative engine into the platform lets us go after those targets faster and across a wider chemical space. Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace has made this kind of made-in-B.C. collaboration possible.” – Daniel Wattier, CEO, 3C Therapeutics
The project is funded in part through Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace program, which supports B.C.-based Solution Adopters in testing and integrating made-in-B.C. technologies in real-world operating environments. 3C Therapeutics is the Solution Adopter, and Variational AI is the Solution Provider. The Integrated Marketplace is funded by the Province of British Columbia and delivered by Innovate BC.
“Innovation in health care leads to better outcomes for patients and more support for health professionals. Through the Integrated Marketplace, we’re continuing to connect B.C. companies with real health-care environments where they can validate their technologies, reduce adoption risk and demonstrate value to the system. This work is strengthening our health sector while supporting the Province’s Look West strategy to build a more resilient economy.” – Peter Cowan, CEO, Innovate BC
About Variational AI
Variational AI is a generative AI drug discovery company based in Vancouver, Canada, founded by machine learning researchers from MIT, Caltech, Google Research, Microsoft Research, and D-Wave Quantum. Its proprietary Enki™ platform uses state-of-the-art generative AI models to accelerate hit generation and lead optimization with improved probability of success for pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners, including Merck (MSD), Rakovina Therapeutics, and Life Chemicals. For more information, visit variational.ai.
About 3C Therapeutics
3C Therapeutics is a Vancouver-based biotechnology company building a new class of precision cancer therapeutics. Its proprietary TriCore platform pairs antibody-based delivery with targeted protein degradation, enabling drugs that can reach and destroy disease-driving proteins inside cancer cells that today’s therapies can’t touch. The platform’s modular design enables rapid development of degrader candidates against a broad range of cancer targets, with an initial focus on aggressive solid tumors. For more information, visit 3ctherapeutics.com.
About Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace
The Integrated Marketplace is a Province of British Columbia initiative, delivered by Innovate BC, that accelerates the commercialization and adoption of B.C. innovation. It connects B.C. Solution Providers with Solution Adopters to test and deploy made-in-B.C. technologies in real-world operating conditions, generating performance data that de-risks technology adoption across provincial industries. More information is available at innovatebc.ca/programs/integrated-marketplace