Altrove uses AI models and lab automation to create new materials

In recent years, there has been a significant acceleration in the development of new materials, with French startup Altrove aiming to play a key role in this innovation cycle. The startup has already secured €3.7 million in funding to support its efforts.

Teams across various organizations have been leveraging artificial intelligence to predict the existence of new materials, leading to more discoveries in the past nine months than in the previous 49 years. However, predicting new materials is just the first step — the challenge lies in developing the recipes for these materials.

Altrove is focusing on inorganic materials, particularly rare earth elements, which present a market opportunity due to their scarcity and fluctuating prices. By utilizing its AI models, Altrove identifies promising materials and generates potential recipes for them.

Creating an automated iteration loop

Altrove tests these recipes and uses proprietary technology to analyze the resulting materials, ensuring they meet the desired specifications. The company’s expertise in material characterization, coupled with its automation efforts, aims to streamline the process of developing new materials.

Altrove envisions itself as a hardware-enabled AI company, with plans to license its materials or collaborate with third-party partners for production. The startup has secured funding from investors and aims to establish its automated lab within the next year.