Liverpool University AI Spinout Apoello Secures £470k Funding Package
A university spin-out company from the University of Liverpool, which is developing artificial intelligence-powered technology to assist researchers in creating new materials, has successfully secured a substantial £470,000 funding package. This investment is aimed at bringing their innovative product to the commercial market.
Revolutionizing Materials Science with Digital Innovation
Apoello was established by materials science experts within the University of Liverpool's Department of Chemistry. The company's primary mission is to digitize the materials science process, thereby accelerating the development of new materials for critical applications such as organic electronics and renewable energy technologies.
Currently, most materials discovery programs depend heavily on physical experiments. This traditional approach often leads researchers to spend months developing compounds that may ultimately prove unusable, resulting in significant time and resource wastage.
Advanced Technology to Minimize Research Setbacks
Apoello's technology builds upon the European Innovation Council-backed DiaDEM research program. It enables researchers to integrate large-scale molecular data with advanced computational modeling. According to the company, this integration should substantially reduce the number of "failed experiments" and help speed up the overall development timeline for new materials.
The pre-seed investment comprises £320,000 from SFC Capital and the British Business Bank, along with an additional £150,000 from the University of Liverpool. Apoello plans to utilize these funds to advance towards commercialization, enhance platform development, and collaborate with early industry partners.
Leadership and Vision Behind the Innovation
The company was co-founded by Dr. Ömer Omar, who serves as a research project coordinator in chemistry at the University of Liverpool, and Professor Alessandro Troisi, the Chair of Theory and Simulation of Materials at the university and a globally recognized expert in computational chemistry.
Dr. Omar, who is also the chief executive officer of Apoello, stated: "This investment marks an important step in translating world-leading research from the University of Liverpool into a commercial platform with real industrial impact. Our goal is to remove inefficiencies from materials discovery and give researchers the tools they need to focus on the most promising candidates."
Investor Confidence and Academic Support
Ed Stevenson, principal at SFC Capital, commented: "We're excited to back Ömer and the team as they build technology that can meaningfully improve how researchers design and test new materials. Apoello is well positioned to bridge the gap between academic innovation and industrial application."
Professor Anthony Hollander, pro-vice-chancellor for research and impact at the University of Liverpool, added: "We are delighted by this investment in Apoello, which showcases the strength of the pioneering materials discovery research behind the company and the commercial potential of its technology. This spin-out exemplifies our commitment to translating world-class research into real-world impact, supported by strong partnerships with investors and industry."
