CuspAI raises $30 million; tackles climate crisis with AI-designed materials

By Team IO

CuspAI, an Amsterdam-based AI company building a platform for next-generation materials, has secured $30 million in funding from leading European and U.S. venture capital funds. CuspAI will partner with Meta, which provides data and computing power.

Streamline design process

CuspAI was founded by Max Welling, a professor of AI at the University of Amsterdam. The company uses generative AI, deep learning, and molecular simulation to streamline the design process of materials. Their platform works like a search engine for materials. Users can enter specific properties and request new materials.

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Carbon capture

The team thinks AI-designed materials will be especially useful in combating the climate crisis. Indeed, greenhouse gases can bind to the new materials so that they can be stored later.

Welling: “Imagine a search engine, not just for existing materials, but for all potential molecules and materials. Our AI can generate and evaluate new materials on demand. For example, you might ask for a material that selectively binds carbon dioxide under certain conditions. The AI then generates, evaluates, and optimizes the potential molecular structures that meet those exact criteria.”