CuspAI
Category: AI in Climate / Energy
CuspAI is developing an AI-powered platform that acts as a search engine for novel materials, allowing users to specify desired properties and generate new, synthesizable candidates. CuspAI was founded in 2024. The company is led by Chad Edwards. Based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $580M. Latest round: Series B. Key investors include Kleiner Perkins, NEA, Bezos Expeditions, Temasek, NVentures (Nvidia), AMD Ventures, Lux Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Northzone, Basis Set Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Glade Brook Capital Partners.
AMW Analysis
CuspAI is a Cambridge-based startup that has built an AI-powered platform designed as a search engine for novel materials, enabling users to specify desired properties and generate synthesizable candidates. The company aims to accelerate materials discovery from years to months, targeting challenges in climate change and renewable energy.
Recent news flow shows a rapid scaling trajectory. In April 2026, CuspAI was in talks to raise over $200 million at a valuation above $1 billion. By July 2026, the company closed a $450 million Series B round at a $2.6 billion valuation, co-led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA, with participation from Jeff Bezos, the UK government’s Sovereign AI Fund, AMD Ventures, and Lux Capital. Simultaneously, CuspAI launched an AI Materials Foundry developed with Nvidia and Meta, and formed a 48-company industry coalition that also includes Samsung. The funding and partnerships signal strong investor and industry appetite for AI-native materials discovery platforms.
AMW analysis, generated from 5 tracked news signals.
- Founded
- 2024
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Team size
- 101-500
- Total funding
- $580M
Value proposition
To accelerate the discovery and development of next-generation materials, reducing the time from years to months, in order to address critical global challenges like climate change and renewable energy.
Products and solutions
Mira AI platform for materials discovery and inverse design, AI Materials Foundry (global partner network for design, compute, labs, data)
Unique value
CuspAI combines generative AI, deep learning, and molecular simulation to create a 'search engine for materials.' This allows for on-demand design of materials with specific, desired properties.
Target customer
Enterprises in sectors requiring advanced materials for sustainability and clean energy solutions.
Industries served
Climate Tech, Renewable Energy, Semiconductors, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy Storage
Technology advantage
The company's key advantage is its ability to rapidly generate and evaluate a vast number of novel material structures, claiming to be up to 10 times faster than traditional R&D methods. Their founding team and advisory board include world-renowned AI researchers, providing a significant talent advantage.
How they differentiate
Cusp AI differentiates itself by using a generative AI-powered platform that functions like a search engine for materials, enabling the rapid discovery and evaluation of novel material structures. This approach is significantly faster than traditional methods. The company is also backed by a world-class team of AI researchers and advisors.
Main competitors
Rescale, Ansys, Orbital Materials
Key partnerships
AI Materials Foundry (45-50 partners including NVIDIA, Meta, Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, Lam Research, Henkel), Kemira (PFAS removal), Meta (carbon capture / Universal Models for Atoms)
Notable customers
Meta, NVIDIA, Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, Applied Materials
Major milestones
Launched from stealth in June 2024 with a $30M seed round., Announced a partnership with Meta in June 2024., Secured a $100M Series A funding round in September 2025 (co-led by NEA and Temasek)., Assembled an advisory board including AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun., Closed $450M Series B in July 2026 at $2.6B valuation (co-led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA; Bezos Expeditions participated)., Launched the AI Materials Foundry with ~50 industry and lab partners.
Growth metrics
Raised $580M total through Series B (July 2026) at $2.6B valuation; LinkedIn company size 51-200 (~70-80 employees per PitchBook/Tracxn); expanding offices in Singapore, Cambridge, Berlin, Tokyo, and the US.
Market positioning
Cusp AI is positioned as a deep-tech startup at the intersection of AI and materials science, focusing on sustainability and clean energy applications like carbon capture. It targets industries in need of novel materials with specific properties.
Geographic focus
Cusp AI is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, but operates in a global market. Its main competition is likely concentrated in North America and Europe, which are hubs for AI and deep-tech innovation.
Patents and IP
No public information on patents is available at this time.
About Chad Edwards
Chemist and deep-tech entrepreneur, previously involved in scaling a quantum computing unicorn. Experience at Google and BASF.
Latest news about CuspAI
- CuspAI raises $450M Series B at $2.6B valuation for AI-driven materials discovery
- CuspAI raises $450M at $2.6B valuation for AI materials discovery, enlists Nvidia, Meta, Samsung in foundry coalition
- CuspAI raises $450M Series B at $2.6B valuation for AI-driven materials discovery
- CuspAI raises $450M at $2.6B valuation, launches AI Materials Foundry with Nvidia and Meta
- CuspAI raises $450M to launch AI Materials Coalition with 48 industry partners
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Official website: https://www.cusp.ai/