Scaling nanomaterials is challenging — Meet the startup with a hybrid solution

In the world of chemistry, synthesising and scaling nanoparticles in a batch process has traditionally resembled cooking a pot of rice. “In very simplistic terms, both involve closed systems where precise control over timing, temperature and ingredients is essential and small variations can lead to inconsistent results,” says Dr Mohammed Jeraal, Director of Engineering at Singapore startup Accelerated Materials (AM). 

The Accelerated Materials team (L to R: Dr Maxim Kiryukhin, Dr Nicholas Jose, Dr Mohammed Jeraal, Kylie Chua) 

The AM team has come up with their response to this challenge – a process that more closely resembles brewing the perfect shot of espresso. Precise, consistent and continuously flowing with minimal waste. 

The company has replaced the batch reactors traditionally used for nanoparticle production with flow technology to create a materials synthesis platform that produces nanoparticles with exceptional consistency and scalability. To help automate its new production process, AM has also integrated its patented high-performance reactors with proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) software enabling its customers to develop and commercialise new formulations with unprecedented speed.

WATCH: How Accelerated Materials' technology works 

Nanoparticles may be invisible to the naked eye, but they are essential to everyday technologies – from mRNA vaccines to smartphone screens and microchips – thanks to their unique properties unlocked at the nanoscale, such as enhanced strength, conductivity and reactivity.

Yet despite their great potential, scaling the production of advanced nanoparticles remains one of the field’s most persistent bottlenecks. Conventional methods rely on batch reactors – essentially scaled-up lab beakers – which often produce inconsistent results when moved from small to industrial scales. Adding to this is the problem of time. Typical scale-ups take decades, delaying production of beneficial products from reaching those who need it most. 

This lack of reproducibility has meant that, despite decades of research, many nanoparticle innovations have never reached the market. The physics of how nanomaterials form – especially under dynamic conditions – remains poorly understood, making predictable, scalable manufacturing difficult with conventional tools. 

AM has set out to change all that. Established in 2020 as a spin-out from the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), its vision is to make sustainable, next-generation nanomaterials a commercial reality.

Its breakthrough solution is the K1 annular microreactor, a compact flow system that enables continuous, scalable nanoparticle synthesis with exceptional control. Unlike traditional reactors that rely on mechanical stirring, the K1 uses a tube-in-tube structure where liquids and gases flow coaxially. High-velocity gas or air is used to force the liquid reagents into a thin microfilm along the inner walls of the reactor. 

 
The patented tube-in-tube mechanism is concealed in the protruding pipe. 

This creates a highly uniform, high-shear environment that allows precise control over how nanoparticles form. The result is a dramatically faster, cleaner and more reproducible way to produce nanomaterials at volumes ranging from lab scale to industrial deployment.

“Because our reactor doesn't depend on high temperatures, pressures or solvents, it’s more energy-efficient and easier to scale,” says Dr Nicholas Jose, CEO and Co-founder, AM. 

AM doesn’t just supply advanced microreactors, it provides a full-stack solution that helps partners move from idea to industrial scale. When onboarding a new partner, the team offers a step-by-step pathway that starts with proof-of-concept experiments using AM’s K1 reactor, then scales to larger systems in the series like its K10 or K100 versions as the process matures. 

Accelerated Materials’ K10 annular microreactor which can produce up to 10kg of nanomaterials.

Also underpinning this hardware journey is AMLearn, a powerful software layer that transforms the experimentation process itself. Originally developed from work in pharmaceutical R&D, AMLearn acts as the digital brain behind the company’s synthesis platform. 

It allows non-experts to run complex chemical experiments autonomously – combining automation, AI and real-time analytics to drive a fully self-optimising lab setup. Scientists input their target molecule and goals, such as maximising yield or using greener reagents, and AMLearn handles the rest: planning, running, analysing and refining the experiments in real time.

“The entire process is fully automated,” Dr Jeraal says. “The system selects ingredients, runs reactions, analyses outputs and decides the next steps – all without human input. We’ve left it running over weekends, and it’s carried out over 100 reactions on its own.”
 

Dr Jose and Dr Jeraal setting up the AMLearn software to run reactions. 

For AM’s customers, the approach is already delivering outstanding results. “By utilising the K1-Start system in combination with AMLearn software, AM not only met our technical requirements but also achieved a significant reduction in R&D process time by 90 percent compared to the traditional trial-and-error experimentation,” says Hiromu Kaneyoshi, Managing Director, Mitsui Chemicals Singapore R&D Centre.

With bases in both Singapore and the United Kingdom, AM is now commercialising its operations with support from Cambridge CARES and the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore’s Central Gap Fund. The early-stage startup is also receiving backing from SGInnovate and NTUitive, the innovation and enterprise arm of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. 

While the company platform has broad, cross-sector potential, the team is focusing on industries where speed, innovation and scalability are paramount.
 
“For example, electronics manufacturers are under constant pressure to deliver faster, smaller and more efficient devices,” explains Dr Jose. “Our technology helps them solve critical challenges in thermal management and device packaging – enabling higher computational loads while minimising energy consumption.” 

AM’s nanomaterials can be used in packaging compounds that bind semiconductor components together, enhancing strength, heat conductivity and electromagnetic shielding. This can all be achieved in microscopic volumes that align with the shrinking footprint of modern electronics.

The pharmaceutical industry is another focus area. Drug makers face pressure to accelerate development timelines while optimising formulations for clinical trials and patenting. AM’s synthesis platform offers a compelling solution, especially when combined with AMLearn. By simplifying the experimentation process and streamlining scale-up, the platform can enable pharmaceutical companies to move faster from molecule discovery to production. 

Then there is the energy transition. “Decarbonisation requires a wide range of new technologies – like better batteries, solar panels, and wind materials – but many remain too costly or underperforming due to material limitations. AM addresses this by helping manufacturers and researchers develop scalable, cost-effective processes to produce high-performance materials, making breakthrough technologies commercially viable and accelerating the path to decarbonisation,” Dr Jose says.

As an early investor and ecosystem partner, SGInnovate sees AM’s end-to-end solution as a standout in the deep tech landscape. “Most companies we meet are either building software models or hardware tools for materials development – Accelerated Materials is doing both,” says Haiyun Wang, Senior Manager, Investments at SGInnovate. “They’re integrating their software, the AI and their reactor into one seamless platform, which is both rare and compelling.”

Haiyun with Dr Jose and Dr Jeraal. 

What also sets AM apart is its team – a driven, highly focused group of scientists who’ve traded academic careers for the heady challenge of building a company from the ground up. 

“We’re a close-knit team that’s learned to adapt – not just in the lab, but in the real-world complexities of business,” says Dr Jose. “What motivates us is the desire to create meaningful impact: enabling decarbonisation, accelerating drug development and improving energy efficiency. 

“But we also know progress doesn’t happen in isolation. Nanotechnology is entering a new era, and we definitely see it as our responsibility not just to lead, but to help shape and strengthen the ecosystem around us.”