XtalPi expands Singapore research ties into AI-led materials discovery
The MARVEL-AI collaboration is intended to help move materials discoveries towards manufacturing and industrial use.
XtalPi Holdings said it will bring AI tools and robotic experimentation to Singapore’s MARVEL-AI programme through a collaboration covering materials discovery, laboratory automation, joint research facilities and exchanges of specialist talent.
Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) leads the programme, which is anchored by its Institute of Materials Research and Engineering. Its remit includes alloys, polymers, ceramics and composites, with the aim of helping discoveries progress towards production and applications in industries including energy, semiconductors and advanced chemicals.
The company plans to combine computational predictions and agentic AI with laboratory experiments, using the resulting evidence to guide further research. It said the collaboration would allow practical development requirements to be considered earlier when identifying new materials.
The agreement extends a relationship previously focused on drug discovery. Since 2022, XtalPi has worked on targeted oncology therapies and automated synthesis with the Experimental Drug Development Centre, a national platform hosted by A*STAR. XtalPi said it was among the companies signing strategic agreements during Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology 2026.
