In a groundbreaking move, Cambridge-based startup CuspAI has secured $30 million in seed funding to transform the process of material design using generative AI. The funding round was led by Hoxton Ventures, with significant contributions from Basis Set Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
CuspAI aims to invert the traditional material creation process. Instead of producing a material and then using computational tools to verify its properties, CuspAI uses AI to design materials that meet specific desired properties from the outset. Co-founder and CEO Chad Edwards explained, “We’re flipping the old process on its head and saying, ‘Well, if you can put materials or molecules in and get properties out, then why can’t you put properties in and get materials and molecules?’”
This approach positions CuspAI against established industry players like Schrodinger and Dassault Systemes, which dominate the market with their computational chemistry and material simulation software. CuspAI’s innovative platform functions like a search engine for materials, allowing rapid evaluation of numerous novel structures, thus ushering in what Edwards describes as the “materials-on-demand” era.
CuspAI’s platform can generate and evaluate new materials on demand. Edwards illustrated, “For example, you can request a material that selectively binds carbon dioxide under specified conditions — the AI then generates, evaluates, and optimizes the potential molecular structures that meet those exact criteria.”
The startup’s co-founder, Max Welling, is a prominent AI researcher and former VP at Microsoft Research and Qualcomm. Welling, along with Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI” and serving as a board advisor, lends significant expertise to CuspAI’s mission. Hinton expressed his support, stating, “I’ve been very impressed by CuspAI and its mission to accelerate the design process of new materials using AI to curb one of humanity’s most urgent challenges: climate change.”
CuspAI is particularly focused on creating AI-designed materials for carbon capture and storage. Edwards highlighted their work on molecular sponges that absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release it upon heating, providing a potential solution for carbon sequestration.
In collaboration with Meta, CuspAI is also part of an open science project aimed at discovering new materials to combat climate change. Yann Le Cun, VP and Chief AI Scientist at Meta, commented, “The world needs fast progress on affordable carbon capture, and we believe that CuspAI’s team is in an excellent position to apply AI-based materials discovery to this pressing problem.”
Other investors in this round include LocalGlobe, Northzone, Touring Capital, Giant Ventures, FJ Labs, Tiferes Ventures, and Zero Prime Ventures. Angel investors from Deepmind, Mehdi Ghissassi and Dorothy Chou, also participated.
With its innovative approach and strong backing, CuspAI is poised to make significant strides in the materials science industry, potentially redefining how new materials are discovered and utilized to address global challenges such as climate change.
Philips Babatunde