Industry reporting documented a flurry of early-2026 platform deals between pharma giants and AI startups, with partnerships spanning biologics design, small-molecule discovery and clinical-outcome prediction. Chai Discovery, Noetik and Boltz were named as early adopters working with Lilly, GSK and Pfizer, signaling a shift from single-asset collaborations to enterprise-grade platform licensing and tailored models. AI founders and pharma executives framed 2026 as a deployment year, not merely experimentation: bespoke models trained on sponsor data, faster de-risking across portfolios, and multi-target engagements were highlighted. Expectations center on platform-level advantages—speed, scale and repeatability—while watchers note integration, validation and regulatory clarity remain operational hurdles.