Cusp Ai
11 known investors
Generative AI search engine for discovering and evaluating novel materials with specific properties for energy and technology applications.
Also known as Cusp AI Limited · Cusp AI Ltd · CuspAI
Investors · 11
Also in the syndicate · 4
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Cusp AI (CuspAI) is a UK-based company building a computational materials discovery platform. The platform is positioned as a search engine for materials: a user specifies the properties a material must have, and the system generates and evaluates large numbers of novel candidate structures, returning synthesisable candidates. The company describes the approach as reversing conventional synthesise-test-fail chemistry by starting from target properties and validating candidates computationally before physical synthesis.
The technology stack combines generative AI, deep learning and physics-based molecular simulation, and the company is developing AI foundation models for materials discovery. Rather than searching existing materials databases, the platform is described as designing structures that have not previously existed. Reported application areas include carbon capture and direct air capture sorbents, PFAS filtration for water treatment, sustainable energy materials, battery materials and semiconductors.
CuspAI was founded in Cambridge in 2024 and came out of stealth with a $30 million seed round; in September 2025 it announced a Series A of $100 million or more. Prof. Max Welling is co-founder and CTO and Chad Edwards is co-founder and CEO. Its advisory board includes Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun.
Founding story
CuspAI was founded in Cambridge in 2024, with Chad Edwards as co-founder and CEO and Prof. Max Welling as co-founder and CTO. At launch, Welling framed the concept as a search engine not only for existing materials but for every molecule that could be created.
Business model
The company operates a materials discovery platform used by industrial customers, who specify required material properties and receive generated candidate materials; reported engagements take the form of corporate partnerships with companies such as Hyundai, Kemira and Meta.
Traction
Within its first year the company reported partnerships with Hyundai on sustainable energy materials, Kemira on PFAS removal from water, and Meta on carbon capture, including a contribution to ODAC25, described as the world's largest direct air capture database. It raised a $30 million seed and a $100 million Series A.
Latest developments
In September 2025 the company announced a $100 million Series A co-led by NEA and Temasek with NVentures, Samsung Ventures, Hyundai Motor Group and existing investor Giant Ventures participating, and appointed Martin van den Brink and Lord John Browne to its board.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as an AI-first materials discovery company with backing from NEA, Temasek, NVIDIA's NVentures, Samsung Ventures, Hyundai Motor Group and Giant Ventures, and an advisory board that includes Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun.
The company reports having analysed and developed novel materials meeting specific customer requirements within six months, against a traditional timeline of up to a decade and costs of several million dollars, and frames its platform as designing new molecules rather than retrieving known ones from databases.
Technology
Generative AI and deep learning combined with physics-based molecular simulation, built into AI foundation models for materials. The system generates and computationally screens large numbers of previously non-existent structures against target property specifications, and is reported to produce synthesisable candidates up to 10 times faster than traditional discovery methods.
Go-to-market
Direct engagement with large industrial partners on named materials problems, with customer-specified property requirements driving discovery projects.
Industrial and corporate R&D organisations needing new materials, spanning automotive and energy (Hyundai, Hyundai Motor Group), chemicals and water treatment (Kemira), and technology companies working on carbon capture (Meta).
Geography
Founded in Cambridge, UK; Bloomberg lists the company as operating in the United Kingdom. The company is also listed among companies affiliated with LAB42 at the University of Amsterdam.
History
The company was founded in 2024 in Cambridge and emerged from stealth with a $30 million seed round aimed at climate applications. In September 2025, roughly a year later, it announced a Series A of $100 million led by New Enterprise Associates and Temasek, and added Martin van den Brink, former President and CTO of ASML, and Lord John Browne, former CEO of BP, to its board.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsCusp AI raised $100 million in a Series A round led by New Enterprise Associates and Temasek, with participation from NVIDIA's NVentures, Samsung Ventures, Hyundai Motor Group and existing investor Giant Ventures. Angel participants were described as including the co-founder of OpenAI, the founder of Dropbox, the founder of Hugging Face and Google DeepMind's VP of Research.
$100M source ↗
Two new board members joined with the Series A: Martin van den Brink, former President and CTO of ASML, and Lord John Browne, former CEO of BP and Chair of the UK Government's Council for Science and Technology.
Collaboration with Meta on carbon capture, contributing to ODAC25, described as the world's largest direct air capture database.
The company came out of stealth with a $30 million seed round directed at climate change applications including carbon capture and storage.
$30M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 6
primary sources listed
- CuspAI | The heart of talent development in AI and digital innovationlab42.uva.nl · web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Cusp Ai do?
- CuspAI runs a generative-AI and simulation platform that designs novel materials to customer-specified properties.
- Who are Cusp Ai's investors?
- Cusp Ai's investors include Giant Ventures Global Llp, Hoxton Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Northzone, Touring Capital, Zero Prime Ventures.