Manohar Paluri worked at Meta for 14 years, progressing from a computer vision researcher to a vice president responsible for artificial intelligence. Now, the IIIT Hyderabad alumnus is embarking on a new venture, applying AI and robotics to accelerate medicine discovery.
His new startup, Warp Sciences, has reportedly raised $215 million, opening a fresh chapter in a career spanning computer vision, robotics and artificial intelligence.
For Paluri, moving from a major technology company to a startup does not mean leaving AI behind. Instead, it gives him an opportunity to use the technology to tackle a different challenge that could transform the process of discovering new medicines.
FROM IIIT HYDERABAD TO META
Paluri earned a BTech degree in Computer Science from the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad in 2006. He started his professional career at Sarnoff Innovative Technology, where he worked on computer vision applications involving object tracking, video analysis and automated cinematography.
He subsequently moved to the United States for postgraduate studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology, focusing on computer vision and robotics. His research experience also included stints at IBM Watson Labs and Google, where he worked as a research intern on 3D mapping.
In 2012, Paluri joined Meta, then known as Facebook, as a computer vision researcher. During the following 14 years, he advanced through several leadership positions, becoming director of artificial intelligence in 2015, senior director in 2021 and vice president in 2024.
His responsibilities spanned AI research and products used across Meta’s family of applications. Over time, he moved from hands-on technical research into senior leadership at one of the world’s largest technology companies.
WHY WARP SCIENCES IS HIS NEXT CHALLENGE
Paluri has now joined Warp Sciences as co-founder and chief technology officer. The startup plans to combine artificial intelligence and robotics with biotechnology and pharmaceutical research to help accelerate the development of new medicines.
Drug discovery is a lengthy and complicated process that requires extensive experimentation, testing and data analysis. AI-powered systems could help scientists evaluate potential discoveries more quickly, while robotics could automate certain laboratory procedures.
The objective is not merely to create another AI application, but to deploy the technology against scientific challenges where faster research could deliver tangible benefits.
Paluri’s career also illustrates how professional journeys can evolve over time. From studying engineering in Hyderabad to working in American research laboratories, spending years at Meta and eventually establishing his own startup, his latest venture builds on more than two decades of experience.
The next challenge will be translating that expertise and Warp Sciences’ reported funding into meaningful scientific advances.
