UK Government has backed British startup Potential Sciences through its Sovereign AI venture fund as part of an eight-figure fundraising round aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) applications in drug discovery and the development of new medicines.
The investment forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to strengthen Britain’s domestic AI industry by supporting homegrown companies developing technologies with the potential to transform scientific research, industrial production and healthcare.
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan described the investment as an opportunity to accelerate medical research.
“Potential Sciences is a startup that’s grasping an opportunity Britain is uniquely well-placed to capitalise on: using our deep expertise in data, fundamental science and computing to potentially unleash the next great wave of medical discovery.”
Kanishka Narayan
He explained that “solving chemistry’s ‘data bottleneck’ could allow researchers to explore new treatments for diseases that are currently deemed too rare or expensive to focus on,” adding, “this is AI at its best, pushing the boundaries of innovation, ultimately to improve people’s lives.”
Potential Sciences Targets Chemistry’s Data Bottleneck
Potential Sciences is developing an AI model that uses the fundamental laws of physics to design new chemicals, offering an alternative to conventional approaches that rely heavily on data generated through expensive and time-consuming laboratory experiments.
The investment comes amid growing interest in the application of artificial intelligence to pharmaceutical research, particularly its potential to accelerate the identification and development of new medicines.
However, progress in AI-driven drug discovery has faced a significant obstacle, as existing models largely depend on experimental data obtained through laboratory processes that are both expensive and slow.
Potential Sciences is seeking to overcome this limitation by developing an AI model grounded in the fundamental laws of physics rather than relying primarily on previously generated experimental records.
The company has rebuilt quantum chemistry software for graphics processing units (GPUs), allowing researchers to conduct high-accuracy chemical calculations at a substantially lower computational cost.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Hatem Helal stated that the next major advance in AI-driven drug discovery depends on generating new scientific data rather than continuing to rely on existing experimental records.
“AI for drug discovery has learned almost everything the existing experimental record can teach it. The next leap needs new data, and the laws of physics can supply it, as long as your software can use modern hardware.”
Hatem Helal
Helal explained that the company’s approach makes gold-standard quantum chemistry calculations affordable at the scale required for AI development, with its software delivering up to 100 times greater efficiency.
He added that the improvement allows relatively modest funding to support computational research that previously required dedicated data centre infrastructure.
AI Set to Revolutionise Drug Discovery
Science Minister Chris McDonald described the investment as an example of how combining scientific research with artificial intelligence could accelerate innovation and deliver practical benefits across healthcare and industry.
“As a former chemical engineer, I know firsthand how the field can make a real difference; whether that’s discovering new medicines to treat and beat disease or finding cheaper and more efficient ways to bring innovations to life.”
Chris McDonald
Lord Vallance, Chair of the Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce, also highlighted the potential of the company’s approach to address longstanding challenges in pharmaceutical research.
He observed that the high costs and uncertainties associated with drug discovery have continued to limit progress towards effective treatments and cures for several diseases.
Potential Sciences has proposed an elegant solution: turning to the fundamentals of quantum science and AI. That could be a gamechanger and speaks to the ingenuity and inspiration that Sovereign AI seeks to foster into new businesses and products.
Sovereign AI Expands Support for British Innovators
Sovereign AI is providing Potential Sciences with access to advanced computing infrastructure through the AI Research Resource, UK’s national network of supercomputers, including the Isambard-AI supercomputer in Bristol.
The support forms part of Sovereign AI’s broader mandate to identify and accelerate promising early-stage artificial intelligence companies, combining venture capital investment with access to government-backed resources and computing capabilities.
The latest investment follows the Chancellor’s announcement in the recent Budget of an additional £140 million in support for Sovereign AI, comprising £60 million for further investments and £80 million for its Research and Development Procurement Scheme.
The Government also confirmed plans to expand the fund’s investment priorities into Physical and Industrial AI, building on Britain’s research strengths in robotics, autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing.
Through these investments, the Government aims to strengthen the country’s position in emerging technologies, encourage the growth of domestic AI companies and create highly skilled, well-paid employment opportunities across Britain.
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