Two AI companies targeting scientific research secured significant financing: Edison Scientific raised a $70 million seed round to scale autonomous research software, and Manifold closed an $18 million Series B to expand its AI platform for life sciences applications including biomarker development and trial design. Edison positioned itself as a commercial spinoff from an AI research group, aiming to automate laboratory workflows and accelerate discovery. Manifold emphasized improving productivity for biomarker generation, model validation and real‑world evidence. Both rounds reflect continued investor interest in applying generative AI to scientific R&D and operational workflows. The funding wave underlines a bifurcated market: companies commercializing AI lab automation and those providing foundation models and platforms for translational workflows. Buyers in pharma and biotech will assess robustness, regulatory traceability, and integration with existing laboratory and quality systems as these startups scale.