Polaron named APC TDAP most promising startup

Recognition from the UK’s flagship automotive innovation programme at a pivotal moment for AI in science

Polaron has been named the Most Promising Startup in the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK’s Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP). The award recognises our work applying AI to materials science and manufacturing, and comes as AI for science becomes a core pillar of national industrial strategy.

Polaron awarded Most Promising Startup

‍

We are proud to have been awarded Most Promising Startup by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK as part of the TDAP accelerator programme.

‍

TDAP is designed to identify and support early-stage companies with technologies that can materially impact the UK automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors. Being recognised by APC UK reflects both the technical ambition of Polaron and the growing importance of AI-driven approaches to materials development, process optimisation, and clean industrial innovation.

‍

The award also coincides with the UK Government’s latest commitment of £1.5 billion to the DRIVE35 programme, reinforcing the role of APC UK in shaping the future of low-carbon transport and manufacturing.

‍

An AI for science moment

‍

This recognition comes during what feels like a genuine inflection point for AI in science.

‍

In the US, the White House recently launched the Genesis Mission, a national effort to use AI, foundation models, and large-scale scientific datasets to automate research workflows and accelerate discovery across domains from energy to quantum science.

‍

In the UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has set out a similarly ambitious vision through its AI for Science Strategy. Backed by up to £137 million within a broader £2 billion AI investment plan, the strategy explicitly links AI for science to frontier areas including advanced materials, fusion, engineering biology, and quantum technologies.

‍

Layered on top of this is a strong push on industrial innovation. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan commits £4.3 billion from 2025 to support strategic sectors such as automotive, batteries, and advanced materials. Together, these signals point to a clear shift: AI-accelerated science and clean industrial innovation are increasingly being treated as strategic national infrastructure.

‍

This is exactly why we decided to start Polaron, and why we have been building these technologies for the last seven years.

‍

About TDAP

‍

The Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP), run by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, supports startups developing technologies that can strengthen the UK’s automotive supply chain and accelerate the transition to net zero.

‍

The programme provides access to industry expertise, technical validation, and direct engagement with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. TDAP graduates represent some of the most promising new companies working on propulsion, energy systems, materials, and manufacturing technologies.

‍

We are grateful to the APC UK team and the wider TDAP cohort, and excited to continue working with partners across the ecosystem to bring AI-powered materials innovation into real-world industrial deployment.

‍