Handol is Co-Founder & CEO of Variational AI, an AI for drug discovery start-up based in Vancouver. Variational AI is applying its state-of-the-art generative AI to generate novel drug-like small molecules that are efficacious, safe, and synthesizable in months versus years. Prior to co- founding Variational AI, Handol was General Manager of the Quadrant AI Business Unit of D-Wave Systems Inc, and brings over 20 years of executive management experience and leadership from venture-backed start-ups and publicly-listed technology companies in cloud, mobile/embedded, and telecommunications software in Silicon Valley, Canada and Asia Pacific. He has led global sales teams, strategic development, and project and product delivery to some of the world's largest companies.
Handol began his career as a trade commissioner in the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada) focused on technology investment with postings in Taiwan and San Jose, California, where he served as Consul at the Canadian Consulate Silicon Valley. While in Silicon Valley, Handol co- founded the Canadian VC Advisory Board and the Digital Moose Lounge, the Canadian expatriate network in Silicon Valley. Handol is Vice-Chair of the AI Network of British Columbia (AInBC) and the United Way Lower Mainland (UWLM).
“The Variational AI team is honored to partner with the University of British Columbia and adMare BioInnovations to work to address this most urgent medical need. As society continues to grapple with COVID-19 variants, it is more important than ever to leverage the power of machine learning to accelerate our drug discovery efforts.”
22 February 2022