Former OpenAI Google Brain Researchers Launch Periodic Labs with $300M Seed to Accelerate AI-Driven Materials Science

Periodic Labs, a new AI startup founded by Liam Fedus, formerly of OpenAI, and Ekin Dogus Cubuk, a former Google Brain researcher, has raised an extraordinary $300 million seed round led by Felicis and Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from notable investors including Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Dean. The company aims to revolutionize materials science by integrating large language models, robotics, and physics simulations to autonomously design, synthesize, and refine new compounds, focusing initially on next-generation superconductors. The startup builds on recent advances in AI reasoning, robotic powder synthesis, and accurate machine learning simulations, combining these technologies to create a closed-loop AI-powered lab capable of accelerating scientific discovery. This funding surge reflects a broader trend of elite AI researchers leaving large corporate labs like Google Brain and DeepMind to pursue ambitious, mission-driven startups with more autonomy and less bureaucracy. Periodic Labs employs over two dozen specialists across AI, physics, and materials science and is considered one of the most ambitious efforts to merge AI with real-world scientific experimentation, fueling a $300 million AI startup boom. The founders emphasize that even failed experiments provide valuable data, feeding an AI-driven feedback loop that continuously improves the discovery process.