Aptamer discovery, done right · Liu Lab · Waterloo

AptaPilot

A stuck SELEX pool, turned into a binder.

We rescue aptamer selections that stalled — and run new ones — powered by software we built to find the candidates that actually bind. Fewer rounds. A richer answer. Backed by a Tier-1 lab.

RescueDiscoverCharacterizeLicense
Service onlineRescueDiscoveryCharacterize
Small-molecule · capture-SELEX
What we do

We deliver the binder. The software is how.

Most teams don't want another tool to learn — they want the candidate that works. So we do the hard step for you, using the pipeline we built in-house. Start with a pool you're stuck on; grow into full discovery.

Prefer to run it yourself? The same engine is available as software — free for academics, licensed for companies and CROs.

See it work

From a pool to a shortlist, in one pass.

Full pipeline demo~5 min · self-hosted
Why us

A lab's expertise, an engine's speed.

Unfair advantage
Our own software
Real-buffer folding, G-quadruplexes, structure clustering — a binder in fewer rounds than mfold + spreadsheets.
What it saves
Weeks / round
Every non-binder is a wasted synthesis-and-validation round. We sell fewer rounds, not a cheaper rate.
Backed by
A CRC lab
Prof. Juewen Liu's group — Tier-1 Canada Research Chair, a real bench, not a broker.
Track record
~30% rescued
Trained on hundreds of Liu-lab pools. On failed selections Geneious Prime and ChatGPT couldn't crack, we recovered real aptamers in ~30% — 6 genuine families so far. The rest had no binder to find.
The engine

Four tools, one shortlist.

The software behind every service — buffer-realistic folding, structure clustering, and clean Kd fitting. Free for academics; licensed for companies and CROs.

Business model

Service is the base. Software is the scale.

1Who we serve

Customer segments

  • Labs & biotech with a stalled pool — the rescue buyers
  • No-bench biotech & diagnostics — discovery
  • Academic SELEX labs — free-software funnel
  • SELEX CROs — license the engine
2What we deliver

The value

  • A binding aptamer — fewer wasted rounds
  • Rescue a stalled pool in days, not another round
  • Judged under your real assay conditions
  • Specialists: small-molecule / capture-SELEX
3How we earn

Revenue

  • Rescue service — high-margin, the funnel
  • Discovery — full SELEX, milestone-priced
  • Software license — the scale ceiling
  • Characterization add-on · academic free
The engine behind it
Key resources
  • The software engine (4 tools)
  • Proprietary calibration data — the moat
  • CRC lab + SELEX bench
Key activities
  • Run rescues & selections
  • Build the software engine
  • Calibrate models on real data
Channels
  • Free tools → "send your pool"
  • Community & publications
  • Referrals from projects
Customer relationships
  • Pilots · milestone · NDA
  • Free self-serve software
  • Methods + CRC-lab trust
Key partners
  • Liu lab — bench & credibility
  • Waterloo · WatCo — IP
  • Target CROs · Mitacs / NSERC
Cost structure
  • Founder + student time (low burn)
  • Existing grant-funded bench
  • Cloud · GPU · optional IP
Run selectionsProprietary dataSharper softwareLicense at scale
Go deeper

The full write-up, and a 4K walkthrough.

QR code linking to the AptaPilot introduction on Google Docs
Full write-up · Google Doc

Read the complete introduction

Scan for the full project document — the problem, the pipeline, the validation plan, and the team, in one place.

QR code linking to the 4K AptaPilot intro video on YouTube
4K intro video · YouTube

Watch the 4K walkthrough

Scan to watch the full 4K AptaPilot introduction on YouTube — best on a fast connection.

Have a pool that didn't give you a binder?

Send it to us — the first look is free.
[email protected]
AptaPilot — aptamer discovery, done rightzxiaohan.com