12 Oct 2026 | 07:08
IP Group leads £4m funding round for AI materials spin-out Matter Machine
(Sharecast News) - Science and technology investor IP Group has led a £4m pre‑Series A funding round for Matter Machine, an AI‑driven materials discovery spin‑out from the University of Liverpool, marking the largest investment secured by a newly formed spin‑out from the institution.
IP Group said on Monday that the oversubscribed round was supported by Northern Gritstone, the University of Liverpool Enterprise Fund, Norrsken Evolve, LYVA Labs and the Northern Universities Venture Fund, managed by Parkwalk - IP's EIS fund management arm.
The funding will be used to expand Matter Machine's technical and commercial teams, advance its AI‑led discovery platform and deepen engagement with commercial partners.
Matter Machine has been developing AI‑powered technologies designed to speed up the identification and optimisation of new inorganic crystalline materials, aiming to cut the time and cost of innovation across sectors such as energy and sustainability.
As part of its growth strategy, Matter Machine has appointed Gordon Sanghera - co‑founder and former chief executive of Oxford Nanopore Technologies - to lead its commercialisation efforts.
IP Group highlighted that the investment aligns with its focus on backing breakthrough science and technology companies with long‑term industrial and societal impact.
As of 1020 BST, IP shares were up 2.11% at 72.50p.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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