
Polaron is a company that uses AI to accelerate the design and development of advanced materials. Their platform leverages machine learning to analyze microstructural data, enabling faster characterization, optimization, and reconstruction of materials. Polaron aims to reduce prototyping steps, gain deeper insights into material properties, and optimize manufacturing processes for cost reduction and improved performance. They are a spin-out from Imperial College London and focus on applications in areas like battery technology, alloys, and ceramics.

Polaron is a company that uses AI to accelerate the design and development of advanced materials. Their platform leverages machine learning to analyze microstructural data, enabling faster characterization, optimization, and reconstruction of materials. Polaron aims to reduce prototyping steps, gain deeper insights into material properties, and optimize manufacturing processes for cost reduction and improved performance. They are a spin-out from Imperial College London and focus on applications in areas like battery technology, alloys, and ceramics.
What they do: AI platform that accelerates materials characterisation, generative design, and manufacturing optimisation from microscopy and image data
Founded: 2023 (spin-out from Imperial College London)
Founders / leadership: Dr Isaac Squires (CEO), Dr Steve Kench (CTO), Prof Sam Cooper (Chief Scientist)
Latest disclosed funding: $8M seed / early round (announced Feb 3, 2026)
Headcount: ~12 employees
Materials discovery, characterisation and manufacturing optimisation for sectors such as batteries, automotive, alloys and ceramics.
2023
Software Development
$8M
Round announced Feb 3, 2026; co-investors include Speedinvest, Futurepresent and angel investors
“Backed by European deep-tech investors including Racine2 (lead), Speedinvest, Futurepresent and angel investors”
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Polaron is a spin-out from Imperial College London, founded by Dr. Isaac Squires, Dr. Steve Kench, and Dr. Sam Cooper. The founders were united by their desire to harness engineering, artificial intelligence, and materials science to build the materials of the future.
Our mission is to become the world leaders at the interface between AI and materials. Through relentless dedication to innovation and pragmatism, we aim to support the next generation of advanced materials critical to building a more sustainable future.
Senior Software Engineer London, England, United Kingdom Full-time Engineering
You’ll be joining a team of nine as a Senior Software Engineer. This role grants you a significant degree of autonomy and influence over the development and direction of the platform and product. We’re building a cloud-based SaaS product that allows materials engineers to leverage state-of-the-art image-based AI, focusing on an intuitive experience so users can achieve results with minimal effort.
Some of the things on our roadmap you might work on include:
Even if you don't have 100% of the requirements above, please apply as we're always looking for incredible people with diverse talents to join our team.
We're a largely office-based company, with typically 4 days a week in the office and 1 day WFH. However, we operate flexible working policies, so depending on a candidate's individual needs, we can discuss an arrangement that works for you.