A South Korea–based startup, spun out from leading academic research, developed a proprietary AI platform for drug repurposing that leverages large-scale biomedical data and generative models to uncover new indications for off-patent pharmaceuticals. While the science was compelling — supported by high-impact publications and early academic partnerships — the company faced barriers in securing translational funding, establishing clinical development pathways, and attracting pharmaceutical co-development partners. Abex Group invested at the pre-Series A stage and co-designed a commercialization roadmap focused on rare and neurodegenerative diseases. We facilitated connections with stakeholders from the K-Digital Healthcare Fund, provided regulatory guidance under MFDS (Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) to accelerate orphan drug designation, and supported the formation of a data-sharing alliance with national hospital networks.