Periodic Labs Secures $300 Million to Automate Scientific Discovery

Periodic Labs, a startup founded by former OpenAI and DeepMind researchers, has raised $300 million in seed funding to advance its mission of automating scientific discovery. The funding round was backed by prominent investors including Andreessen Horowitz, DST, Nvidia, Accel, Elad Gil, Jeff Dean, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Bezos, according to The New York Times.

The company, led by Ekin Dogus Cubuk and Liam Fedus, aims to create AI systems capable of conducting physical experiments autonomously. These AI 'scientists' will operate in labs where robots perform experiments, gather data, and refine their processes to discover new materials. Initially, Periodic Labs will focus on developing new superconductors that could outperform existing materials in terms of efficiency and energy requirements.

Periodic Labs plans to build its own research facility in Menlo Park, California, where these AI-driven experiments will take place. The startup's approach involves using AI to analyze scientific literature and physical experimentation data, enabling the systems to learn and improve over time. This initiative marks a significant step towards integrating AI into the realm of scientific research, with the potential to accelerate discoveries in fields like physics and chemistry.