We are excited to announce our investment in Radical AI, a seed-stage startup using AI to accelerate materials discovery. This investment underscores our commitment to a just energy transition—ensuring the green economy is built on responsibly sourced minerals.

Climate adaptation and mitigation depend on critical minerals like cobalt and tungsten. Nearly 25% are at high risk of extraction by forced or child labor, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Yet many of these minerals come from single-country suppliers like China or the Democratic Republic of Congo, making responsible sourcing challenging despite reform efforts.

Founded in 2024, Radical AI is developing a foundation model for materials discovery that will identify alternatives to these high-risk minerals. The startup’s approach marries two cutting-edge technologies: generative AI and robotics. Whereas ChatGPT predicts the next word in a sentence, Radical AI’s model will predict novel materials for industrial use. The startup will then test these materials in a fully-automated lab, dramatically accelerating the traditional materials discovery process.

Radical AI has broad applications in critical industries – from innovative battery chemistry for electric vehicles to rare-earth-free magnets for wind turbines. Across use-cases, alternatives to critical minerals will provide manufacturers and buyers with greater control over their supply chains. This can reduce dependence on high-risk sources, while increasing market pressure on existing suppliers to reform unsustainable practices.

The founding team brings exceptional expertise. Joseph Krause (CEO) served as an investor at AlleyCorp with a background in material science and nanoengineering . He is joined by Jorge Colindres (President), former operator and partner at Allycorp, and Gerbrand Ceder (CTO), a pioneer in battery research who served as principal investigator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s autonomous laboratory.

The seed round includes strategic co-investors specializing in semiconductors, energy, climate infrastructure, supply chains, and aerospace. These include Nvidia, Eni, AlleyCorp, and others. We at Working Capital Fund will leverage our expertise in resilient supply chains, introducing Radical AI to our network of multinationals committed to responsible sourcing. We look forward to supporting Radical AI as it scales, steering market dynamics in favor of responsible sourcing and production.