CuspAI, a British AI startup, on Monday unveiled a partnership with Nvidia and 45 organizations to accelerate materials discovery for semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. The announcement coincides with a $450 million fundraise led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA, valuing the company at $2.6 billion, with significant participation from Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions. CuspAI uses artificial intelligence to simulate the performance of novel materials, narrowing the vast number of possibilities for laboratory testing in industries awaiting breakthroughs in carbon capture, semiconductors, and water purification.
CuspAI Raises $450 Million at $2.6 Billion Valuation
The $450 million fundraise was led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA, with significant participation from Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions. Additional new investors include Glade Brook Capital Partners, Lux Capital, AMD Ventures, and Britain's Sovereign AI Venture Fund. Josh Coyne, partner at Kleiner Perkins, said in a statement, "Most big leaps in technology come down to a material, and the next set, from cheaper carbon capture to semiconductors and cleaner water, is stuck waiting on materials nobody has discovered yet. CuspAI built a search engine that changes that."
Nvidia and Meta Join AI Materials Foundry Partnership
CuspAI launched an "AI Materials Foundry," a network of data, labs, compute, and scientific expertise running on the startup's AI platform. Nvidia is among the 45 organizations providing compute infrastructure for the initiative. Meta's Fundamental AI Research Team is also joining the partnership. Chad Edwards, CEO and cofounder of CuspAI, stated, "As AI transforms the physical world, new materials will open up new frontiers across semiconductors, energy and advanced manufacturing. The AI Materials Foundry brings NVIDIA accelerated computing infrastructure together with world-class chemistry and materials expertise to help power the next generation of materials discovery."
CuspAI Expands Global Presence with Singapore Office
CuspAI is opening a new office in Singapore and growing teams in the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. The Britain-based startup is part of a new wave of AI companies applying the technology to the physical world. Jeff Bezos' own company Prometheus, founded in 2025, raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation and focuses on AI for invention and physical engineering.
FAQ
What did CuspAI announce on Monday?
CuspAI announced a partnership with Nvidia and 45 organizations to form an AI Materials Foundry for materials discovery in semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. The announcement coincided with a $450 million fundraise at a $2.6 billion valuation.
Who invested in CuspAI's $450 million fundraise?
The fundraise was led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA, with significant participation from Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions. Additional investors include Glade Brook Capital Partners, Lux Capital, AMD Ventures, and Britain's Sovereign AI Venture Fund.
How does CuspAI use AI for materials discovery?
CuspAI uses artificial intelligence to simulate the performance of novel materials, narrowing the vast number of possibilities for laboratory testing in industries such as carbon capture, semiconductors, and water purification.
