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Revolutionizing Materials Discovery: Our Investment in Radical AI

At the Partnership Fund for New York City, we regularly seek out opportunities that not only drive economic growth but also establish New York City as a leader in emerging sectors. Our latest investment in Radical AI embodies this mission.

Based in New York City’s Alexandria Center, Radical AI is building an advanced materials company that is reimagining how new materials are researched and developed. By integrating computational design, AI modeling, and automated lab experimentation, their self-learning system dramatically increases the speed and efficiency of this process. This innovative approach addresses a critical industry need, as traditional materials discovery can be slow, costly, and labor-intensive. Radical AI projects a throughput of 100 alloys per day. For context, the fastest alloy experimental program funded by DARPA produced 500 alloys over the course of a year—a volume Radical AI expects to achieve in just five business days.

We believe Radical AI is a category-creating investment for NYC. The investment supports a broader range of applications in material science innovation, helping expand both the use cases for New York City’s existing lab space and the scope of our science-based sectors beyond biotech and life sciences. This investment also leverages our city's existing strengths in artificial intelligence to cultivate a new advanced materials sector in New York and ensure that we’re attracting the industry’s top talent to stay in and contribute to our city. 

Radical AI has already made strides on that front, having attracted employees who relocated specifically to join the company. They've also garnered the attention of industry leaders like Raytheon and Nvidia, who also participated in this financing round. We are excited to support Radical AI as they advance materials science and help establish New York City as a frontrunner of innovation in the sector.

- Maria Gotsch, President & CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City

Recent Investments

Radical AI

Radical AI uses artificial intelligence and autonomous self-driving labs to accelerate materials science research and development. Radical AI is leveraging NYC’s capabilities in AI to build a new sector—advanced materials—in New York, and helping expand the scope of NYC’s science-based technology sector from life sciences into new materials.

Popwheels

Popwheels offers a battery-swapping platform and network, providing standardized, swappable, and safe batteries for delivery workers who use e-bikes, food carts using gas-powered generators, and other distributed energy applications in urban environments. The Fund’s investment helps support the company’s efforts to address the battery fire crisis, advance equitable access to necessary resources, and enable customers to comply more with regulations around e-bikes and batteries.

Our portfolio companies in the news

• Urban Solar, a Transit Tech alumnus, deployed more of its digital screens across the Upper West Side, offering transit riders real-time bus wait times.

• Kings County Distillery welcomed us to its historic distillery, showcasing its unique process for distilling whiskey and the ways it is building community in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

• NaviLens, a Transit Tech Lab alumnus, showcased its wayfinding system across the MTA’s system, which helps guide partially-sighted and blind people safely to the correct train or bus and provides important transit information.

• Reality Defender expanded its deepfake detection access to independent developers with a public API. 

• Summer announced a partnership with New York City, enabling residents to use its free online portal to help lower student loan payments and make it easier for families to save for their children’s college education.

• Radical AI was awarded a contract with the U.S. Air Force to help them develop the materials necessary to unlock hypersonic flight.

• Orijin was named one of Jobs for the Future’s 2025 Innovators to Watch, a recognition reserved for organizations pioneering solutions that expand access to education, training, and career opportunities for justice-impacted individuals. 

• Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center gave us a tour of its namesake building on Manhattan Avenue, which has been transformed into an affordable space for manufacturers.

• Newlab hosted New Climate Features at its Brooklyn Navy Yard headquarters, bringing together leading voices in climate tech with the shared mission to commercialize critical climate solutions.

The latest from our Innovation Labs

Our three public sector innovation labs—the Transit Tech Lab, Environmental Tech Lab, and Buildings Tech Lab—offer government access to cutting-edge technology and  entrepreneurs an expedited path to testing with some of the largest, most complex public sector agencies in the New York region.

The Transit Tech Lab published proof-of-concept results from the 13 companies selected by our transit agency partners to address their challenges in ridership improvement and inspection & maintenance. 

The Environmental Tech Lab held pitch & demo days at the Partnership Fund’s office: challenge finalists presented their solutions, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection got the chance to see applicants’ technologies first-hand. 

The Buildings Tech Lab released proof-of-concept results from its inaugural program year, showcasing how eight companies could streamline DOB’s process management and enhance the utilization of data. The BTL also opened applications for its second annual challenge program. 

Innovation that Endures: 15 Years of FinTech

President & CEO Maria Gotsch reflects on 15 years of the FinTech Innovation Lab, sharing how it has shaped NYC’s fintech ecosystem and why this collaboration between startups and financial institutions will continue to drive innovation in the face of changing trends. 

“The technology has changed, the founders have evolved, and the priorities have shifted, but the fundamental need for collaboration has only grown stronger.”

What’s next: Applications are currently open for the 2026 FinTech Innovation Lab. Learn more and apply here. 

Our latest research: Life Sciences Industry Report

A decade of strategic investment has transformed New York City into a leader in the life sciences industry. Published in August, our latest report, “Closing the Gap: New York’s Decade of Growth in Life Sciences” details the remarkable progress we’ve made.

• The sector’s growth is a testament to the power of public-private collaboration and the brilliant innovators who call New York home. 

• Challenges like federal funding cuts and real estate costs remain, but the momentum is undeniable.

Dive deeper: Read how the Fund has supported the growth of the life sciences sector in New York City since 2001.

Convening transit agency leaders

Stacey Matlen, VP of Innovation, joined leadership of our transit agency partners for a panel discussion to recognize Disability Pride Month in July and share how we’re making a more accessible system by implementing tools like NaviLens and Convo Communications.

Welcoming our newest team member

Chloe Rosenberg joined the team this quarter as our Senior Manager of Innovation Programs, overseeing the Transit Tech Lab, the largest and longest standing of the public sector Innovation Labs. Prior to the Partnership Fund, Chloe worked in management and strategy consulting at Oliver Wyman, advising global clients on digital transformation, growth strategy, and more.