Chemify lands £22M state grant, one of the UK's largest for an AI startup
What's the deal? Chemify, a University of GlasgowDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → spinout using robots and AI to discover new medicines, has secured £22 million in grants from Scottish Enterprise and the UK government. The package comprises just over £15 million from Scottish Enterprise and a further £6 million from central government, according to a government insider.
What does it do? Founded in 2022 by Lee Cronin, Regius chair at the University of Glasgow, Chemify is behind a process called chemputation, which combines AI with robotic synthesis for molecular and materials discovery. Its platform, Chemify Genesis, powers "chemifarms" designed to speed up drug and materials discovery; the first sits in Maryhill, Glasgow.
How big is this? The grant ranks among the largest ever awarded to a UK AI company, sitting in the top 0.4% of such grants on record. Chemify has already raised more than £100 million from investors including Insight Partners, 8VC, and Rocketship VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the money for? The capacity expansion is expected to treble Chemify's Scottish workforce from about 150 employees to roughly 450 over the next three years. A source said the grant would likely be followed by a Series C round seeking between $250 million and $1 billion.
Why now? Life sciences is a key pillar of the UK government's industrial strategy, launched last year. Chemify has drawn strong government interest as what has been billed as the first physical AI able to hyperscale real solutions in areas such as drug discovery and climate change.
What could go wrong? Keeping Chemify in the UK is a challenge, given its diverse investor base and interest from US backers. Cronin is said to be planning further chemifarm sites internationally, including in the US.
The signal: The grant reflects a race among AI startups to pioneer new methods of scientific discovery, with billions flowing into fusion, materials science, and drug discovery. Governments are now backing that race directly, betting that homegrown deeptech can produce globally significant results — if it stays put.
Read more: islandfm.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
