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Martins Otun Receives 2026 Global Recognition Award for Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Pharmaceutical Technology

Gary Lloyd | Nov 11,26 | 01:43 EST

Technology

Martins Otun, founder and principal scientist of Scotland-based Algonix AI, has received a 2026 Global Recognition Award. His Biologix AI platform accelerates discovery of materials that keep life-saving medicines stable without refrigeration, attracting international research interest and promising computational results.

From Pharmacy Practice To Computational Science Martins' interest in pharmaceutical innovation began during his training at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, where he studied pharmacy before entering professional practice. His experience working with medicines and patients exposed him to challenges beyond the pharmacy itself, including the difficulty of ensuring that temperature-sensitive medicines remained safe and effective as they moved through healthcare supply chains. These experiences shaped his decision to pursue computational science and artificial intelligence as a means of tackling problems that conventional approaches had struggled to solve. After moving into computational science and technology development in the United Kingdom, he founded Algonix AI Ltd in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing together pharmaceutical expertise and modern computing to develop tools that accelerate the discovery of new materials and improve how medicines are formulated. Martins leads the company's research direction, technology strategy, and product development, and has taken its technology from an original research concept to an operational platform. What began as an effort to solve a problem encountered in pharmacy practice has evolved into a technology platform designed for use by scientists and research organisations. Biologix: A New Approach to Pharmaceutical Discovery Biologix is Algonix AI's flagship technology, developed to help scientists explore new materials that may protect delicate biological medicines from temperature-related damage. Discovering such materials traditionally involves extensive research, laboratory experiments, and repeated testing before candidates worth pursuing emerge. Biologix is designed to make those early stages more efficient, and since its launch, it has attracted interest and use among researchers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Africa. The platform uses artificial intelligence to propose potential materials, assess how they might interact with medicines, and apply physics-grounded workflows to evaluate promising candidates. Rather than simply suggesting ideas, it conducts connected research activities, assesses results, and refines its search based on what it discovers. It also maintains a detailed record of the research process, so researchers can examine not only which candidates were identified but also how the system arrived at them. Research Demonstrates Promising Results Biologix has already produced encouraging findings in computational research focused on identifying materials for insulin applications. In a study conducted by Algonix AI and currently undergoing peer review, the platform was compared with established artificial intelligence optimisation methods under comparable computational testing conditions. Its strongest research campaign identified a polymer candidate that achieved 26% and 29% more favourable average molecular interaction-energy results than the reinforcement-learning and Bayesian-optimisation comparison methods, respectively, supported by repeated simulations and statistical analysis. The research involved three separate discovery campaigns in which Biologix explored different groups of materials and used computational findings to guide its search. In one campaign alone, the system evaluated 105 unique polymer structures, helping identify promising candidates and useful patterns for further investigation. The results relate to computer-based molecular testing rather than confirmed improvements in medicine shelf life, and promising candidates will next be assessed through laboratory investigation. Recognition and the Road Ahead In mid-2026, Martins was named Innovator of the Year in Health Technology & AI at the Prestigious Iconic Africa Under 40 CEO Awards, recognising his work in applying advanced technology to pharmaceutical and healthcare challenges. He has also participated in technical speaking engagements focused on transparency, traceability, and accountability in AI systems. These activities reflect his broader interest in ensuring that advanced technologies are not only powerful but also dependable and suitable for scientific and professional use. Looking ahead, Algonix AI aims to develop Biologix into a broader scientific discovery platform that supports the identification, design, and evaluation of materials for different pharmaceutical applications. “The future of pharmaceutical innovation will increasingly depend on our ability to combine scientific knowledge with intelligent technology,” said Martins. “At Algonix AI, we are building the tools to make that future possible, starting with one of the most important challenges in medicine: ensuring that life-saving treatments can reach the people who need them.” About Algonix AI Algonix AI Ltd is a Glasgow-based technology company developing artificial intelligence platforms for pharmaceutical research, drug discovery, and computational materials science. Its flagship product, Biologix, uses artificial intelligence and molecular modelling to help scientists identify, design novel materials, and evaluate materials with potential applications in biologic medicine formulation and stability.

From Pharmacy Practice To Computational Science

Martins' interest in pharmaceutical innovation began during his training at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, where he studied pharmacy before entering professional practice. His experience working with medicines and patients exposed him to challenges beyond the pharmacy itself, including the difficulty of ensuring that temperature-sensitive medicines remained safe and effective as they moved through healthcare supply chains. These experiences shaped his decision to pursue computational science and artificial intelligence as a means of tackling problems that conventional approaches had struggled to solve. After moving into computational science and technology development in the United Kingdom, he founded Algonix AI Ltd in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing together pharmaceutical expertise and modern computing to develop tools that accelerate the discovery of new materials and improve how medicines are formulated. Martins leads the company's research direction, technology strategy, and product development, and has taken its technology from an original research concept to an operational platform. What began as an effort to solve a problem encountered in pharmacy practice has evolved into a technology platform designed for use by scientists and research organisations.

Biologix: A New Approach to Pharmaceutical Discovery

Biologix is Algonix AI's flagship technology, developed to help scientists explore new materials that may protect delicate biological medicines from temperature-related damage. Discovering such materials traditionally involves extensive research, laboratory experiments, and repeated testing before candidates worth pursuing emerge. Biologix is designed to make those early stages more efficient, and since its launch, it has attracted interest and use among researchers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Africa. The platform uses artificial intelligence to propose potential materials, assess how they might interact with medicines, and apply physics-grounded workflows to evaluate promising candidates. Rather than simply suggesting ideas, it conducts connected research activities, assesses results, and refines its search based on what it discovers. It also maintains a detailed record of the research process, so researchers can examine not only which candidates were identified but also how the system arrived at them.

Research Demonstrates Promising Results

Biologix has already produced encouraging findings in computational research focused on identifying materials for insulin applications. In a study conducted by Algonix AI and currently undergoing peer review, the platform was compared with established artificial intelligence optimisation methods under comparable computational testing conditions. Its strongest research campaign identified a polymer candidate that achieved 26% and 29% more favourable average molecular interaction-energy results than the reinforcement-learning and Bayesian-optimisation comparison methods, respectively, supported by repeated simulations and statistical analysis. The research involved three separate discovery campaigns in which Biologix explored different groups of materials and used computational findings to guide its search. In one campaign alone, the system evaluated 105 unique polymer structures, helping identify promising candidates and useful patterns for further investigation. The results relate to computer-based molecular testing rather than confirmed improvements in medicine shelf life, and promising candidates will next be assessed through laboratory investigation.

Recognition and the Road Ahead

In mid-2026, Martins was named Innovator of the Year in Health Technology & AI at the Prestigious Iconic Africa Under 40 CEO Awards, recognising his work in applying advanced technology to pharmaceutical and healthcare challenges. He has also participated in technical speaking engagements focused on transparency, traceability, and accountability in AI systems. These activities reflect his broader interest in ensuring that advanced technologies are not only powerful but also dependable and suitable for scientific and professional use. Looking ahead, Algonix AI aims to develop Biologix into a broader scientific discovery platform that supports the identification, design, and evaluation of materials for different pharmaceutical applications. “The future of pharmaceutical innovation will increasingly depend on our ability to combine scientific knowledge with intelligent technology,” said Martins. “At Algonix AI, we are building the tools to make that future possible, starting with one of the most important challenges in medicine: ensuring that life-saving treatments can reach the people who need them.”

About Algonix AI

Algonix AI Ltd is a Glasgow-based technology company developing artificial intelligence platforms for pharmaceutical research, drug discovery, and computational materials science. Its flagship product, Biologix, uses artificial intelligence and molecular modelling to help scientists identify, design novel materials, and evaluate materials with potential applications in biologic medicine formulation and stability.