Matter Machine, a University of Liverpool spin-out company to drive AI-materials discovery, has closed a £4m pre-series A funding round to accelerate the commercial development of its inorganic crystalline materials discovery platform, combining deep experimental and materials characterization expertise with AI prediction.
The oversubscribed round was led by IP Group plc and supported by Northern Gritstone alongside the University of Liverpool Enterprise Fund and a syndicate of leading investors including Norrsken Evolve, LYVA Labs and the Northern Universities Venture Fund managed by Parkwalk, IP Group’s EIS fund management business.
The funding, the largest investment secured by a newly formed University of Liverpool spin-out, will support the expansion of Matter Machine’s technical and commercial team, further development of its technology expertise led, AI-powered discovery platform and engagement with commercial partners across multiple sectors.
Matter Machine is developing AI-powered materials discovery technologies designed to dramatically accelerate the identification and optimisation of novel materials, reducing the time and cost of innovation across industries, addressing the societal needs in energy and sustainability over the next decade.
The spin-out combines world-leading expertise in materials chemistry, automated experimentation and machine learning to create a new approach to materials discovery. By enabling faster identification of high-performance materials, the company aims to help address some of the world’s most significant technological and industrial challenges.
As part of the company’s growth strategy, Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE, co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, has joined Matter Machine to lead its commercialisation strategy.
Dr Sanghera helped build Oxford Nanopore from inception through to its £3.4bn London Stock Exchange listing and brings extensive experience in scaling deep-technology businesses.
Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE said: “Materials innovation underpins progress across multiple sectors from energy to manufacturing and electronics. Matter Machine brings together exceptional scientific expertise, unique technology capabilities and a highly scalable commercial opportunity. I am excited to lead the company’s development and growth.“
Founder of Matter Machine, Professor Matt Rosseinsky OBE FRS, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry, said: “The combination of advanced materials science and artificial intelligence creates a powerful opportunity to transform how new materials are discovered. Matter Machine has been established to unlock that potential, enabling faster innovation and delivering materials that can support advances across a wide range of industries.“
Greg Smith, Chief Executive of IP Group, said: “Matter Machine brings together two exceptional forces in British innovation. The University of Liverpool’s inorganic materials group’s AI-powered discovery work could dramatically shorten the time required to develop new materials, accelerating innovation across batteries, catalysts and advanced manufacturing. Gordon Sanghera has already demonstrated his ability to build a globally significant deeptech company with Oxford Nanopore, a journey that IP Group was proud to support. Matter Machine exemplifies the kind of ambitious science-led company that IP Group was established to support, and we are delighted to lead this round.”
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: “University spin-outs play a vital role in translating world-class research and innovation into economic opportunities, industrial growth and societal benefit. Matter Machine builds on the University’s strength in AI and materials science and creates an important route for taking that expertise into new markets, supporting innovation and high-value economic growth.”
Matter Machine is headquartered at the University of Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory, a globally recognised centre for materials research and industrial collaboration. The company also contributes to the AI Materials Hub for Innovation (AIM-HI) programme, which is helping position the Liverpool City Region and the UK as a global leader in AI-enabled materials research and innovation.
The investment highlights Liverpool’s growing position as a centre of excellence for science, innovation and company creation, building on the city’s strengths in materials science, artificial intelligence and technology commercialisation. The university has a multi-year partnership agreement with Northern Gritstone, the investment and venture building company chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill, with Matter Machine marking the first investment since the partnership began.
The University of Liverpool’s Enterprise Team supported the formation of this spin-out, fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and a cluster of high-growth companies across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.