Polaron completes $8M funding round for materials science intelligence

London-based Polaron has secured $8 million in a funding round led by Racine2, with participation from Speedinvest, Futurepresent, and angel investors. This investment will fuel the development of Polaron's intelligence layer designed for materials science research and development. The company aims to transform traditional materials discovery, which often relies on manual analysis and trial-and-error, by integrating AI into the R&D process. Polaron’s platform addresses a critical gap in materials science by training AI models on microscopy images and measured material properties. This enables automated interpretation of microstructural features, crucial for understanding material behaviour and manufacturing outcomes. The technology can significantly reduce manual analysis time, perform three-dimensional reconstructions from two-dimensional images, and identify complex microstructural characteristics. The company's generative design layer allows engineers to explore process-structure-property relationships and identify optimal material configurations and their associated processing conditions. This capability supports the transition from laboratory research to industrial-scale manufacturing across diverse material types like metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. The new capital will bolster Polaron's engineering team, accelerate the deployment of its generative design tools, and cater to increasing demand from sectors such as automotive and energy.