ChemAlive receives Innosuisse grant

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12.01.2018
symbolic picture: Molecules

ChemAlive SA, a Vaud based startup developing an automated cloud solution based on big data and quantum chemistry for the chemical and pharma industry, has been granted CHF 750k CTI Grant. Together with EPFL and Uni Basel, the startup that is already serving first clients will develop machine learning approaches applied to chemical modelling in real time.

ChemAlive applies machine learning and data science to model chemical properties and reactions for the design of new drugs and materials. The startup serves an online computational chemistry platform that delivers highly accurate analytics for all of chemistry through its managed cloud computing using its in-house automation algorithms and its large-scale database. Through one-button, barrier-free, access to state-of-the-art methods in chemical theory, the platform allows for fast and efficient results with up-to-date methodologies useful to experts and non-experts alike in academia, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and contract research (manufacturing) organizations.

First customers
The software is currently under development however its platform interface is ready to demo. Over 30 institutions have engaged with the beta module of the interface. Despite being under development, ChemAlive is already earning recurring revenue from offering additional services such as consulting and support. With one of its clients, Saudi Aramco, the largest Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company, the founders published exciting results in the Journal of American Chemical Society. Three additional clients, are already on board where pilot projects are currently being run.

Now, with the Innosuisse Grant, ChemAlive seeks to expand the scope of applications of its product suite. The startup will run a project aimed to commercialise machine learning applied to chemical modeling in real time. In collaboration with two stakeholders from academia, that is the University Basel and EPFL, ChemAlive will leverage on their technology and know-how to combine data science, machine learning and chemistry to bring quantum chemistry to the next level.

“This is a 3-party grant between the EPFL, Uni Basel and ChemAlive”, says Thomas Eaton, cofounder and COO of ChemAlive. “At EPFL, we collaborate with the lab of Professor Nicola Marzari and the group of Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS). Marzari is also head of the NCCR Marvel project. Together we will use the Aiida Database platform to allow clients to have a data architecture for their molecular simulations. At UniBasel, we will collaborate with Professor Anatole von Lilienfeld of the Department of Chemistry, Institute of Physical Chemistry. Together we will develop machine learning approaches to molecular modelling” he adds. The project is scheduled to start during Q1 2018 and runs for 1.5 years through 2019.

ChemAlive has been awarded several awards, including MassChallenge and Climate-KIC, in which CHF 500’000 in non-dilutive funding was secured. The additional Innosuisse grant of CHF 750’000 and own capital will facilitate the ongoing software development and accelerate the time to market.

(ran)

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