Chad Edwards

Dr. Chad Edwards is the co-founder and CEO of CuspAI, an artificial intelligence company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, focused on advancing materials discovery and development. Edwards specializes in deep technology and operates at the intersection of advanced research and commercial application. He holds a doctorate in nuclear fission and computational quantum chemistry, as well as a Master of Business Administration. Edwards was the first in his extended family to attend university, attributing his academic pursuits to his father's work ethic and the influence of a chemistry teacher who inspired his interest in science at Manchester University.

Prior to establishing CuspAI, Edwards served as commercial co-founder at Cambridge Quantum Computing, where he secured enterprise customers such as Airbus, BMW, Honeywell, and Roche. He played a key role in the merger with Honeywell that resulted in the formation of Quantinuum, recognized as a leading quantum computing company. Edwards has contributed to raising more than $1 billion in funding and has assembled an advisory board that includes Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton and Turing Award recipient Yann LeCun, both prominent figures in artificial intelligence research.

Edwards co-founded CuspAI with Max Welling, aiming to develop a comprehensive AI system for materials science. The company has created a "search engine" for materials discovery, enabling users to specify desired material properties, identify candidate molecules, generate synthesizable compounds, and validate their practical use through simulations at a significantly accelerated pace compared to traditional methods. CuspAI's proprietary AI platform, MIRA, manages the entire discovery process, from design and simulation to experimental validation.

CuspAI completed a Series B funding round that raised $450 million, resulting in a company valuation of $2.6 billion. The funding round was led by Kleiner Perkins and NEA, with participation from Bezos Expeditions and investor John Doerr. The launch of the AI Materials Foundry brought together more than 45 organizations, including Nvidia, Meta, Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, and Lam Research, to collaborate on computing resources, laboratory access, and scientific expertise using CuspAI's platform. CuspAI has been recognized as a leading AI company in Europe.

Edwards is recognized for his contributions to artificial intelligence, deep technology, and quantum computing, and has articulated the importance of accelerating materials innovation to address industrial challenges. He has stated, "If we don't make progress fast, the next 50 years of industrial progress will be constrained by a single challenge: the world needs materials that don't yet exist." Edwards' leadership in AI-driven materials discovery continues to shape the technology landscape in Europe and beyond.