alqem
alqem builds an AI discovery engine for next-generation materials and aims to reduce strategic dependencies in European industrial supply chains.
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Podcast Episode
🎙️ Deep Dive
Skello, Worldmodeldata, alqem — AI for shifts, physical worlds and strategic materials — Daily News July 6, 2026
Listen to the episodeAbout alqem
alqem is a Munich-based deep tech startup with a presence in Coimbra, founded in 2026 by Dr. Hanh Nguyen, Dr. Tiago Cerqueira and Prof. Milan Allan. The company develops a materials discovery engine based on AI, proprietary materials databases, property training datasets and in-house synthesis and characterization. Its first focus is discovering rare-earth-free permanent magnets for potential use in EVs, wind energy, robotics and defence. In July 2026, it raised 8M euros in a pre-seed round co-led by UVC Partners and Union Square Ventures.
The Story
alqem was founded in 2026 by a team combining industrial chemicals and energy experience, computational materials science and experimental physics.
How alqem works
Business Model
B2B deep tech for strategic materials, with potential licensing, industrial partnerships and joint development.
Revenue Model
Not disclosed; likely based on industrial partnerships, IP licensing and joint development.
Products & Services
Key Products
- al-mine
- al-oracle
- AI-driven materials discovery engine
- Rare-earth-free magnet candidate pipeline
Core Use Cases
- Rare-earth-free permanent magnets
- Critical materials substitution
- EV material supply chains
- Wind turbine materials
- Robotics and defence materials
- AI for materials science
Market & Clients
Key Customers
Future industrial customers in mobility, wind energy, robotics, defence, advanced manufacturing and critical materials supply chains.
Geographic Presence
How alqem competes
Competitors
Competitive Advantages
- Proprietary predicted-materials database
- In-house synthesis and characterization
- Scientific links to Alexandria and LMU Munich
- Collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
How alqem grows
Growth Strategy
Grow Munich and Coimbra teams, validate rare-earth-free magnet candidates and build industrial partnerships.
Distribution Model
Industrial partnerships, licensing and joint development with manufacturers and strategic supply-chain actors.
Moat (Defensibility)
Proprietary materials data, AI discovery loop, synthesis capability, scientific team and research partnerships.
Regulatory Context
Relevant to EU critical raw materials policy, supply-chain resilience and advanced manufacturing strategy.
Key Risks
- Scientific validation risk
- Long materials commercialisation cycles
- Scale-up from lab to industrial production
- Dependence on industrial partnerships
Strategic Insights
- Materials discovery can become a layer of European industrial sovereignty.
- Combining AI prediction with physical synthesis reduces the risk of remaining purely computational.
- The focus on rare-earth-free magnets responds to a concrete strategic need.
Funding & Investors
Funding Rounds
- 2026 - Pre-seed: 8M euro
Lead: UVC Partners, Union Square Ventures
Key Investors
Founding Team
Founders
Key Executives
- Dr. Hanh Nguyen - Co-founder & CEO
- Dr. Tiago Cerqueira - Co-founder & CTO
- Prof. Milan Allan - Co-founder & CSO
Key Metrics
Lessons from alqem
- In industrial deep tech, the first use case is decisive to make a broad platform legible.
- The moat emerges from the interaction between proprietary datasets, scientific know-how and experimental capability.
- Industrial sovereignty can become a strong commercial driver when linked to critical supply chains.
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