Base44 founder Maor Shlomo launches cancer research fund after losing his mother to the disease
The entrepreneur, whose sale of Base44 to Wix is now worth nearly $100 million, says AI is creating a revolution in drug discovery, and wants to help turn it into new treatments.
Maor Shlomo, who sold Base44 to Wix last year in a deal now worth close to $100 million, has announced the creation of a fund dedicated to cancer research and the development of new treatments.
In a post on social media, the 32-year-old entrepreneur revealed that he lost his mother to cancer four months ago, a tragedy that prompted him to dedicate part of his proceeds from the sale of Base44 to the new initiative. He did not disclose how much capital he has committed to the fund, which has yet to be named.
"I’ve started a small fund from my Base44 money focused on cancer research and breakthrough therapies," Shlomo wrote. “I’ve invested in seven companies and plan to do more as liquidity allows. I welcome anyone who has been blessed financially to join me and find ways to finally manage / end this disease."
In the lengthy post, Shlomo reflected on his personal loss and the broader challenge posed by cancer.
“I honestly believe cancer is humanity's worst enemy. Around 40% will be diagnosed with it, out of which about a third won’t make it. For some it’s a statistic. For those who’ve gone through it with someone they love, it’s one of the worst things you can imagine. I had to go through it with my mom - who passed away four months ago. I miss and think about her every single day. This field needs a dramatic push.”
Shlomo argues that despite rapid advances in technology and the artificial intelligence revolution, progress in developing new cancer treatments has not kept pace. In his view, AI is transforming the discovery process by dramatically increasing the number of potential drug candidates, shifting the industry's biggest bottleneck to laboratory validation and clinical testing.
“AI is identifying new targets and designing molecules, drastically shortening timelines and creating an abundance/inflation of ideas. This is already happening. Play with Claude Science / Codex and you'll be surprised how far you can get with a few prompts, which is great, but it's pushing the bottleneck to manufacturing and testing. How fast you can synthesize and test a drug for efficacy / toxicity impacts how many shots at a target you get: faster means more chances of success. It's the same lesson software learned about fast iteration.”
He said he has already made several initial investments in startups and is actively looking for additional companies in the field.
Shlomo also sought to reassure Wix investors, for whom Base44's AI-powered coding platform has become one of the company's key growth stories.
“I’m still obviously spending most of my time on Base44, which is a plus for the companies - as we’re able to support them with tools, software, AI agents, etc. I’m looking for people to join me - invest or help one of the companies.”
Shlomo sold Base44 to Wix for an initial $80 million. Thanks to the company's performance since the acquisition, the value of the deal has grown to nearly $100 million. At the time of the sale, Shlomo was just 31 years old and the company's sole employee. He founded Base44 only about six months earlier, after completing an extended period of reserve duty following the October 7 Hamas attack.
