Bezos, Schmidt, Nvidia-backed startup Periodic Labs aims to automate science with AI labs to discover new materials.
Periodic Labs Raises $300M to Build AI Scientists
Periodic Labs came out of stealth on Tuesday with $300 million in seed funding. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, Accel, DST, and tech legends Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt, Jeff Dean, and Ilad Gil.
Founders with Google and OpenAI backgrounds
The company was founded by Ekin Dogus Kubuk, a former head of materials and chemistry at Google Brain and DeepMind, and Liam Fedus, a former VP of research at OpenAI who helped create ChatGPT. The team includes researchers who worked on Microsoft’s MatterGen and other key AI projects.
The goal is to automate scientific discovery
Periodic Labs plans to create “AI scientists” — artificial intelligence combined with robotic laboratories. The idea is for robots to conduct experiments, collect data, and learn from their own results, discovering new materials.
Focus on superconductors and new data
The company’s first line of research is to develop new superconductors that can be more efficient and less energy-intensive. The team also aims to accumulate unique physical data that will become the basis for the further evolution of AI models.
Competition in the field of AI science
While Periodic Labs has a unique combination of capital and talent, others are developing similar ideas. Startups Tetsuwan Scientific, Future House, and the Acceleration consortium at the University of Toronto are working on automating chemical discovery.
Related: OpenAI is preparing a restructuring with Microsoft: they will create a company with a social mission
