Demystifying leading materials informatics startup Citrine Informatics' new business model and what it means to a chemical and materials company

August 21, 2018 | Case Study

Lux sees Materials informatics as an early-stage disruptive technology with strong momentum from various stakeholders; the past year alone has witnessed a tremendous amount of activity from startups, larger corporations, and academia (see the report "Materials Informatics Update 2018"). As part of a continuing effort to build research and insight on this fast-growing space, Lux recently spoke with Greg Mulholland, co-founder and CEO of Citrine Informatics. As many may be aware, Citrine Informatics is a high-profile materials informatics startup aimed at accelerating chemical and materials development via the use of artificial intelligence (AI). While Greg talked about the company's recent progress (including a $7.6 million Series B round from Tencent Holdings in the form of a convertible note), the most radical change is its business model. Here, we analyze the new business model and what it means to a chemical and materials company that wants to engage with Citrine.