Scimplify raises $25M to challenge China’s grip on critical materials with AI

As manufacturers across industries strive to reduce their reliance on Chinese suppliers, Indian startup Scimplify has raised $25 million to expand its AI-powered approach to producing specialty chemicals and critical materials, with semiconductors, defense and energy emerging as key growth markets.

The all-equity strategic round was led by Hitachi Ventures, with customers Henkel and Teknor Apex joining as new investors. Existing backers Accel India, Bertelsmann India Investments, Omnivore, and 3one4 Capital also participated. The round values the Bengaluru-based startup at $250 million after the investment, according to a person familiar with the transaction, up from $150 million after a $40 million Series B round in March 2025. The latest investment brings Scimplify’s total equity funding to $80 million, the startup said, though it declined to disclose its valuation.

The growing adoption of AI and advanced computational tools has accelerated materials discovery and research. However, turning promising chemistry into commercially available products at scale remains a slow and complex process. Manufacturers need to develop production processes, qualify facilities, and meet stringent quality standards, all while navigating supply chains limited to a handful of countries. Scimplify is seeking to shorten that process.

In some cases, the startup, founded in 2023, has gone from receiving a customer’s requirements to delivering the finished material in just two months, compared with the 12 to 18 months such work would typically take, co-founder Sachin Santhosh (pictured above) said in an interview.

“Each of these agents is basically solving for what [a customer] would want, working backward from the customer’s requirement,” Santhosh said. “This helps us move a lot faster and remember customer context even for future references.”

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