Kemira Oyj press release, July 9, 2025 at 8.00 EEST
Kemira, a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water-intensive industries, today announced a strategic partnership with CuspAI, a pioneering materials science artificial intelligence company. This water industry-first collaboration aims to revolutionize materials innovation within the chemical sector through the integration of advanced AI technologies.
As part of this partnership, Kemira will leverage CuspAI’s cutting-edge AI capabilities. By integrating AI-driven insights, Kemira aims to accelerate the discovery and optimization of new materials, positioning itself as a frontrunner in the chemical industry’s digital transformation. In fact, materials discovery – which can take up to a decade – can be accelerated to as little as six months with AI.
The partnership aims to combine Kemira’s chemical expertise with CuspAI’s AI capabilities to enhance its research and development processes with an initial focus in silico development (digital molecule/formulation development). The first project will target the removal of PFAS (forever chemicals) from water while there are endless opportunities possible for the future. The removal of PFAS and other micropollutants from water is increasingly relevant due to regulations around consumer and environmental health. Kemira is already addressing this by taking strides into the activated carbon market.
“The AI materials development process is fast and precise, and we’re thrilled to be working with the leader in this area.” said Antti Salminen, CEO of Kemira. “The biggest global challenges, such as clean water, are fundamentally materials science problems and, as such, we see materials science as the next frontier for AI. Our partnership with CuspAI underscores our dedication to harnessing the power of AI to drive this materials innovation, improve efficiency, and deliver superior – and sustainable – solutions to our customers.”
“Solving society’s biggest challenges starts with discovering new materials. Removing polluting ‘forever chemicals’ from water is no exception,” said Dr Chad Edwards, CEO and Co Founder of CuspAI.
“We’re excited to partner with an established leader in sustainability and innovation, Kemira, on this important target. Harnessing our AI-powered materials discovery platform, our team of AI, chemistry and engineering pioneers is excited to join forces to co-create the sustainable solutions of tomorrow."
CuspAI has rapidly gained recognition for its innovative AI solutions and strategic partnerships with industry leaders. This collaboration with Kemira marks a significant milestone in CuspAI’s commercial journey, showcasing its ability to deliver impactful AI applications across diverse sectors.
In addition to technological advancements, this partnership will also focus on nurturing AI talent within Kemira. By collaborating with CuspAI, Kemira aims to build a robust pipeline of AI expertise, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
“Our collaboration with CuspAI will provide our teams with invaluable exposure to cutting-edge AI technologies,” added Salminen. “This will not only enhance our innovation capabilities but also support the development of our AI talent pipeline, ensuring we remain at the forefront of industry advancements.”
Notes to editors:
"Forever chemicals," also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in various industries since the 1940s They are called "forever chemicals" because they are extremely persistent in the environment and in the human body, meaning they don't break down and can accumulate over time.
For more information, please contact:
Kemira Oyj
Greg Morrison, Director of Communications
Tel. +31 621 628 723
Kiira Fröberg, VP, Investor Relations
Tel. +358 407 604 258
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water-intensive industries. We deliver tailored products and services to improve the product quality, processes, and resource efficiency of our diverse range of customers. Our focus is on water treatment, as well as on fiber and renewable solutions – enabling sustainability transformation for our customers. In 2024, Kemira reported annual revenue of EUR 2.9 billion with a global team of some 4,700 colleagues. Kemira is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki www.kemira.com
CuspAI is a frontier AI company pioneering the discovery of breakthrough materials to power human progress. While nature took billions of years to perfect molecules, CuspAI is using AI to achieve trillion-dollar breakthroughs in months. Its “search engine” for next-generation materials accelerates discovery up to 10x faster than traditional methods, unlocking critical solutions in climate, energy, and computing.
Founded in 2024 by Dr. Chad Edwards and Professor Max Welling, CuspAI’s recruits and advisory board make its founding team among the most cited in the world – including advisors Professor Geoffrey Hinton and Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Professor Yann LeCun. www.cusp.ai