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deepmirror, a UK AI drug discovery startup based in London, has been named alongside Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) in TIME’s 2026 Best Inventions list, in the Social Impact category, the companies said.
The recognition is for Drug Design for Global Health (dd4gh), an open-access AI platform built by the two organisations to speed up research into malaria, tuberculosis and other neglected tropical diseases. The platform gives eligible global health researchers free access to advanced AI drug discovery tools, according to the release.
TIME’s annual list, selected by its editors and correspondents worldwide, highlights 300 inventions evaluated for originality, efficacy, ambition and impact, the release said.
dd4gh was shaped with input from more than 50 researchers in global health, many working in countries affected by disease, the companies said. The platform draws on MMV’s experience in malaria drug discovery and aims to close resource gaps for scientists working on neglected diseases, the release said.
The platform, which launched in March 2026, had reached 400 registered users by October, with 60% based in low- and middle-income countries, according to the release.
Comments from the partners
Dr Paul Willis, Vice President, Drug Discovery and Preclinical Safety at MMV, said the recognition “shows that innovation is not only about creating powerful technology. It is about empowering global health researchers to make better drug discovery decisions, so catalysing progress.”
Prof. Richard Amewu, Lead of the Department of Chemistry’s Drug Innovation Group at the University of Ghana, said the platform is already helping his institution make better use of its resources, and that he looks forward to Africa’s contribution to drug discovery solutions for some of the region’s major health challenges growing, according to the release.
Dr Max Jakobs, Co-founder and CEO of deepmirror, said dd4gh “reflects our belief that access to advanced AI should not depend on where a scientist works or their laboratory resources.”
The platform’s next phase will add advanced three-dimensional drug design capabilities to help scientists identify promising compounds earlier, and will incorporate capabilities to design long-acting injectable medicines and predict the dose required to meet ideal product profiles, the companies said.