London-based startup CuspAI is in advanced talks to raise over $100 million to enhance its AI-powered platform that designs new materials for sustainability, targeting climate change challenges like carbon capture and PFAS removal through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge generative AI.
London-based startup CuspAI is reportedly in advanced talks to raise over $100 million in a new funding round to further develop its AI-driven materials discovery platform. Founded in 2024, the company previously secured $30 million in seed funding from notable venture capital firms including Hoxton Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Northzone. This fresh capital injection aims to accelerate CuspAI’s progress in revolutionising materials science, particularly with applications in climate technology.
CuspAI’s innovative platform operates as a generative AI-powered search engine for materials, allowing users to input desired material properties and receive optimised chemical compositions that meet those specifications. By combining generative AI with molecular simulation techniques, the firm seeks to streamline and significantly speed up the materials discovery process. This approach could profoundly impact industries ranging from sustainable manufacturing to environmental remediation.
The company has explicitly targeted climate solutions as a primary focus area. Cofounder Dr Chad Edwards told Sifted that CuspAI’s technology is geared towards creating materials capable of capturing carbon emissions, a critical challenge in the global effort to mitigate climate change. This direction aligns with broader industry trends aiming to leverage AI for sustainability goals.
Recent strategic partnerships underscore CuspAI’s commitment to practical environmental applications. The startup has teamed up with Kemira Oyj, a Finnish company specialising in sustainable chemical solutions. Their initial collaboration focuses on tackling per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as ‘forever chemicals,’ which persist in water and pose serious health risks. By integrating Kemira’s chemical expertise with CuspAI’s AI capabilities, the project seeks to develop innovative materials for effective PFAS removal, marking a significant step in the digital transformation of chemical research and development.
CuspAI’s earlier seed round highlighted the company’s strong backing and expert leadership. Notably, the startup appointed Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, as Chief Scientist, and forged a partnership with Meta to collaborate on open science initiatives targeting new materials for climate change mitigation. Industry leaders including Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun have expressed confidence in CuspAI’s technological potential to address pressing environmental challenges.
With this prospective $100 million fundraising effort, CuspAI aims to expand its platform’s capabilities and accelerate the deployment of AI-designed materials that could unlock new frontiers in sustainability and clean energy. The talks signal strong investor confidence in the company’s vision to transform material science through artificial intelligence, aligning with growing market demand for innovative climate technology.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative reports that CuspAI is in discussions to raise over $100 million, with Bloomberg reporting on August 4, 2025. ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/cuspai-seeks-over-100-million-to-fund-ai-materials-discovery-platform–bloomberg-93CH-4168658?utm_source=openai)) This aligns with the article’s publication date of August 8, 2025, indicating timely reporting. However, the article references multiple sources, including TechCrunch and Investing.com, suggesting that the information has been disseminated across various platforms. Notably, the article from TechFundingNews, dated August 5, 2025, provides similar details, indicating that the narrative may have been republished across multiple outlets. ([techfundingnews.com](https://techfundingnews.com/cuspai-raises-100m-ai-materials-discovery-climate-tech/?utm_source=openai)) This raises concerns about the originality of the content. Additionally, the article includes a reference map linking to other articles, which may indicate a reliance on existing content. While the inclusion of recent data may justify a higher freshness score, the recycling of content from multiple sources suggests a lower originality score. Therefore, the freshness score is 8, and the originality score is 4.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Dr. Chad Edwards and Geoffrey Hinton. A search reveals that similar quotes from Dr. Edwards and Hinton have appeared in previous articles, such as those from TechCrunch and TheNota, dated June 18, 2024. ([techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/18/cuspai-raises-30m-to-create-a-gen-ai-driven-search-engine-for-new-materials/?utm_source=openai), [thenota.com](https://thenota.com/post/2024/jun/18/cuspai-raises-30m-geoffrey-hinton-meta-partnership/?utm_source=openai)) This suggests that the quotes may have been reused from earlier publications. However, the article also includes new information about the $100 million funding round, indicating some level of originality. Therefore, the quotes score is 7.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from BeBeez International, a platform that aggregates news from various sources. While it provides timely information, the platform’s reputation and editorial standards are not well-known, which may affect the reliability of the content. The article also references multiple sources, including TechCrunch and Investing.com, which are reputable outlets. However, the reliance on aggregated content and the lack of original reporting from BeBeez International raise concerns about the source’s reliability. Therefore, the source reliability score is 6.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about CuspAI’s funding round and technological developments are plausible and align with information from reputable sources. The company’s focus on AI-driven materials discovery for climate technology is consistent with industry trends. The involvement of Geoffrey Hinton and the partnership with Meta further support the credibility of the claims. Therefore, the plausibility score is 9.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative reports on CuspAI’s discussions to raise over $100 million, with information sourced from multiple outlets. While the claims are plausible and supported by reputable sources, the recycling of content and reliance on aggregated information from BeBeez International raise concerns about the originality and reliability of the report. Therefore, the overall assessment is ‘OPEN’ with a medium confidence level.
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