Novyte Banks On Agentic AI To Solve The Optimisation Puzzle In Materials Science

by · Inc42

SUMMARY

  • Mumbai-based deeptech startup Novyte Materials is using AI to help chemical companies automate materials R&D, from formulation optimisation to new material discovery.
  • Its flagship platform, Novyte Q, aims to shorten research timelines by analysing scientific literature, recommending experiments and optimising formulations using chemistry-specific AI models.
  • Backed by Thiea Ventures, the startup is betting that combining AI with industrial manufacturing partnerships can help commercialise new materials faster than traditional R&D approaches.
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New materials are not created overnight; their development is often a slow, iterative process and in most cases, the work has to stop for reasons beyond the control of even the brightest minds in material science. 

Put simply, scientists spend months reading research papers, designing experiments, testing formulations and analysing failures before arriving at a commercially viable product. Even then, a promising discovery may never reach production if it cannot be manufactured economically or integrated into existing factory infrastructure.

Mumbai-based deeptech startup Novyte Materials is betting that AI can reduce years of industrial R&D into months by automating repetitive scientific tasks, but beyond leveraging AI for new material discovery, the startup’s focus is also on how agentic AI can solve the key problem of real-world optimisation for new materials, which is often the key pain point.  

Founded in 2025 by chemical engineer Ajaz Khan and incubated at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, Novyte is building AI models that help chemical and materials companies optimise existing products, discover new formulations and automate large parts of industrial research and development. 

Materials science involves identifying or designing new materials with specific properties and functions to meet technological, industrial, or scientific needs. AI’s opportunity in the field is huge. 

According to research firm Market.us, the global AI in Materials Discovery Market size is expected to be worth around $5.5 Bn by 2034, from $536 Mn in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 26.4% during this period. 

Globally, AI-driven materials discovery has attracted significant investment, with startups such as CuspAI, Orbital Materials and Citrine Informatics building AI for new materials design and enterprise R&D. 

While many focus on discovering novel materials, Novyte is betting that automating the process of formulation optimisation and enabling businesses to commercialise materials will be equally important.