AI meets Materials Science — and it’s exploding

by Diane du Paty

Why now?

Because AI is slashing R&D costs and unlocking discoveries that were unthinkable five years ago.

Here are 5 red-hot pillars shaping the future of materials 👇

🔬 1. Materials Informatics
→ AI simulates material properties before anything is built.
🧠 Skip the 100 prototypes. Go from months to days.
🔥 Explore bold new combinations (think: exotic alloys).
Startups to watch: ExoMatter, Compular

🧪 2. Foundational Models for Discovery
→ AI designs new materials from scratch: structure, cost, durability — fully optimized.
🌍 A game-changer for replacing rare & costly inputs.
Startups to watch: CuspAI, Orbital, altrove, Entalpic, Quantistry

⚗️ 3. Formulation Optimization
→ AI cracks complex mixes (polymers, composites, chemicals).
🎯 No more lab guesswork — just faster, smarter formulations (paint, batteries, recycled plastics…).
Startups to watch: Exponential Technologies, Matnex, Alloyed

📊 4. Virtual Testing & Validation
→ Predicts strength, lifespan, toxicity before real-world use.
🚫 Say goodbye to product recalls and costly surprises.
Startups to watch: Senoptica Technologies, CuspAI, Entalpic, altrove

🤖 5. Automated Labs
→ Robots + AI running 24/7 experiments at scale.
💥 Test 10,000 materials in parallel — welcome to next-gen R&D.
Startups to watch: Dunia, PhaseTree, Exponential Technologies