BenevolentAI vs Butterfly Network

Butterfly Network has a disclosed valuation of $957M, while BenevolentAI's valuation is not publicly available, making a direct size comparison difficult. Butterfly Network employs 500-1000 people.

Butterfly Network has raised more in total funding at $370M, compared to BenevolentAI's $292M — a gap of $78M. Combined, the two companies have completed 10 known funding rounds.

Butterfly Network leads with an Awaira Score of 85/100, while BenevolentAI sits at 62/100. That 23-point gap reflects real differences in funding, scale, and traction — it's not a vanity metric.

BenevolentAI was founded by Joanna Shields in 2013. Butterfly Network was founded by John Martin in 2011. Visit each company's profile on Awaira for a full founder biography.

BenevolentAI: BenevolentAI applies machine learning to drug discovery, using knowledge graph technology and predictive AI models to identify novel drug candidates and repurpose existing compounds for new therapeutic applications. The London-based company has built a proprietary biomedical knowledge graph containing billions of data points extracted from scientific literature, clinical trial data, and genomic databases, which feeds its target identification and molecule generation pipelines.\n\nThe company went public on Euronext Amsterdam in 2022 via a SPAC merger with Odyssey Acquisition, having previously raised approximately $292 million in private funding from backers including SoftBank, Woodford Investment Management, and Mayfair Equity Partners. BenevolentAI has clinical-stage programs in atopic dermatitis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, developed from AI-generated hypotheses that were subsequently validated in wet lab experiments and progressed into human trials.\n\nBenevolentAI operates in the AI drug discovery sector alongside Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Exscientia, and Insilico Medicine. The company faces the inherent challenge of all computational drug discovery platforms in demonstrating that AI-generated candidates can survive clinical attrition at higher rates than traditionally discovered drugs. The platform is considered one of the more mature AI drug discovery systems in Europe, with the longest track record of moving AI-generated hypotheses into clinical development. Butterfly Network: Butterfly Network produces the Butterfly iQ, a handheld ultrasound device powered by a proprietary semiconductor chip that replaces traditional piezoelectric transducer arrays with a single silicon chip capable of whole-body imaging. The AI software layer provides real-time image interpretation guidance, enabling clinicians with limited ultrasound training to perform diagnostic scans at the bedside.\n\nThe company is publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker BFLY and raised over 700 million USD prior to and through its public listing. Butterfly has deployed devices across hospitals, emergency rooms, and point-of-care settings in over 50 countries, with particular penetration in resource-limited healthcare settings where traditional ultrasound equipment is prohibitively expensive or unavailable.\n\nPortable AI-assisted diagnostic imaging represents a structural shift in how and where medical imaging is performed. Butterfly Network has created a defensible position through its proprietary chip architecture, which competitors cannot easily replicate, and through its growing library of AI-assisted clinical guidance tools. The transition from hospital-based imaging to point-of-care diagnostics powered by AI guidance is a multi-decade trend that positions Butterfly at the center of a fundamental change in diagnostic medicine. Butterfly Network operates in the AI Healthcare sector and is headquartered in United States. Founded in 2011 by John Martin, Butterfly Network has raised $370M in total funding, achieving a valuation of $957M as of its latest round. The company's funding journey includes a Seed of $11.1M in 2011, a Series A of $29.6M in 2012, a Series B of $66.6M in 2014, a Series C of $114.7M in 2015, a Series D of $148M in 2016. With approximately 500-1000 employees, Butterfly Network has established itself as a Public-stage player in the AI Healthcare market. The company holds an Awaira Score of 85/100, reflecting its strong position across valuation, funding trajectory, team scale, and market influence. Butterfly Network competes in a rapidly evolving segment alongside other AI Healthcare companies. Based in United States, Butterfly Network is part of a growing international AI ecosystem attracting talent and investment. The AI Healthcare space has attracted significant investment in recent years, with companies racing to capture enterprise and consumer demand for AI-powered solutions.

Butterfly Network got there first, launching in 2011 — that's 2 years of extra runway. BenevolentAI didn't arrive until 2013. In AI, that kind of head start means more training data, deeper customer relationships, and a bigger talent moat.

BenevolentAI has about 100-500 employees; Butterfly Network has about 500-1000. A bigger team usually means more revenue or heavier VC backing, but in AI, small teams can build at massive scale.

Yes — they're direct rivals. Both BenevolentAI and Butterfly Network compete in AI Healthcare, targeting many of the same buyers. If you're evaluating one, you should be looking at the other.