alqem was founded in 2026 by a team that helped build the Alexandria open materials database and is headquartered with offices in Munich and Coimbra. The company combines large-scale computational screening (al-mine and al-oracle datasets) with in-house lab synthesis to predict and test rare-earth-free magnet candidates. alqem says it has developed a pipeline of candidates that have been validated with lab data, though it has not disclosed quantities or specific alloys. The startup plans to grow its research and engineering teams and to formalize partnerships with LMU Munich, TU Munich, T9cnico Lisbon, and the universities of Porto and Coimbra. Financially, alqem has completed a 8 million pre-seed round led by UVC Partners and Union Square Ventures, positioning it to accelerate experimental validation against better-funded competitors. The company is targeting a market dominated by China and aims to provide alternatives for industries using permanent magnets.

Total raised

$9M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Jul 2026