AI Startup CuspAI Raises $450M to Forge Future Materials

CuspAI, a UK-based startup, announced on July 20, 2026, that it has secured $450 million in Series B funding. Investors in this round include the UK government, Jeff Bezos's investment fund, Kleiner Perkins, NEA, Glade Brook Capital Partners, Lux Capital, AMD Ventures, and the Netherlands' Invest-NL. This funding round valued CuspAI at $2.6 billion and will support its expansion into the U.S., Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

The startup's primary objective is to accelerate the discovery of novel materials crucial for industrial progress, addressing a bottleneck that could constrain future advancements. CuspAI has also launched the AI Materials Foundry, a coalition comprising over 45 companies, including tech giants like Nvidia and Meta. This initiative aims to consolidate computing resources necessary for sophisticated software that will aid researchers in developing new materials.

CuspAI utilizes its AI platform, MIRA, to manage the entire materials discovery cycle, from generative design and simulation to synthesis planning and experimental validation. The company's co-founders, Chad Edwards and Max Welling, emphasized the urgency of material innovation for sustained industrial progress. The addition of semiconductor veteran Abhi Talwalkar to its advisory board and former Apple and Google executive John Giannandrea to lead U.S. operations further strengthens CuspAI's expertise.