CuspAI, a UK-based company, has secured $30 million in a seed round to develop generative-AI-driven software for designing new materials. The company’s platform, led by CEO Chad Edwards and co-founder Max Welling, a renowned pioneer in AI, generates and evaluates novel structures at a rapid pace.
Edwards notes that the company’s approach is flipped from the traditional method, where materials are created first and then simulated using computer software. Instead, CuspAI designs materials based on specific properties, much like a search engine for materials. The company aims to revolutionize the materials development process, enabling the creation of new materials that can solve pressing problems such as climate change.
The company has partnered with Meta on its open science project to discover new materials that can address climate change. The collaboration will involve using AI to accelerate the discovery of novel sorbent materials for carbon capture. The round was led by Hoxton Ventures, with significant participation from Basis Set Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, and included investments from LocalGlobe, Northzone, and other prominent venture capital firms.
