Apoello backed by SFC Capital, British Business Bank and University of Liverpool
The team at Apoello, from left: Ömer Omar, Simon Tuley, Tony Travers, Abdel-Rahim Abdalla, Russell Payne, Adam Coxson, Alessandro Troisi, Alfonso Gambino, Thomas Pugh(Image: Wesley Storey)
A university spin-out company developing AI-powered technology to help researchers develop new materials has secured a £470,000 funding package to take its product to market.
Apoello was founded by materials science experts at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry to digitise the materials science process and make it quicker to create new materials for applications including organic electronics and renewable energy technologies.
Most current materials discovery programmes rely heavily on physical experiments, meaning researchers can spend months developing compounds that may not be usable.
Apoello’s technology builds on the European Innovation Council-backed DiaDEM research programme and means researchers can combine large-scale molecular data with advanced computational modelling – which it says should reduce the number of “failed experiments” and help to speed up development.
Apoello’s pre-seed investment includes £320,000 from SFC Capital and the British Business Bank, alongside £150,000 from the University of Liverpool. It will use the cash to move towards commercialisation, to work on platform development and to work with early industry partners.
The company was co-founded by Dr Ömer Omar, research project coordinator in chemistry at the University of Liverpool, and Professor Alessandro Troisi, who is Chair of Theory and Simulation of Materials at the university and a globally recognised expert in computational chemistry.
Dr Omar, chief executive officer of Apoello, said: “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.”
Ed Stevenson, principal at SFC Capital, said: “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, said: “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.”