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Altrove, a French deep-tech startup, is set to revolutionize the field of new materials development. Having recently raised €3.7 million, the company aims to overcome longstanding bottlenecks in Research and Development (R&D) for material discovery. Historically, predicting the existence of new materials has been a slow process, often hindered by complex calculations. However, recent advancements by AI giants like DeepMind and Microsoft have accelerated the prediction of stable new materials. Altrove takes this a step further by not only predicting potential new materials but also creating innovative “recipes” to manufacture them. These recipes involve detailed specifications such as proportions, temperature, and sequence of mixing elements. The startup focuses on inorganic materials, particularly rare earth elements, which are crucial yet challenging to source. Altrove’s proprietary technology uses AI models and an in-house X-ray diffractometer for material characterization, allowing them to iteratively test and refine these recipes. With plans to automate their lab, Altrove aims to increase throughput and speed up the material development process. The company draws parallels to biotech firms that leverage AI for drug discovery but applies this to material science. Within 18 months, Altrove aspires to sell its first asset, signaling a promising future for AI-enhanced material innovation.

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