Zenithon AI, a London-based startup, has raised $10 million in seed funding to build AI world models for extreme physics, covering fusion reactors, rockets and semiconductor chips. The round was led by Backed VC, Lunar Ventures, Seraphim Space, MMC Ventures and SOSV, with angel investors also taking part, according to Tech Funding News.
What the company does
Zenithon AI builds machine learning models that predict how physical systems behave, aiming to replace some of the simulation software engineers use when designing fusion reactors, rockets and semiconductor chips. Rather than running one simulation at a time, its models are trained on both simulation data and real-world results, so engineers can evaluate large numbers of design variations and get an estimate of how confident each prediction is.
The company says its models can assess a million different design variations in the time it takes a standard simulation to run once. For fusion reactor engineers, that could mean plasma simulation results in seconds rather than the months current methods take, letting them test more design changes before a physical build is locked in.
The round
Zenithon AI raised $10 million in seed funding, according to Tech Funding News. The round was led by Backed VC, Lunar Ventures, Seraphim Space, MMC Ventures and SOSV, with participation from angel investors, the outlet reported. Founder Alex Higginbottom said the raise combines two rounds from the past year into one and leaves room for follow-on extensions.
The company said the money will be split evenly between hiring and compute. It plans to release a new model every three months and to grow its team across London, San Francisco and elsewhere in the US.
“We’re using $10 million to train large world models for extreme physics… Without it, we wouldn’t be able to train such large models and have such strong capability,” Higginbottom said.
Backed VC’s Alex Brunicki said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Alex and Abi as they develop SOTA Foundation Models for extreme physics… We believe Zenithon will have a profound impact on these industries and are thrilled to be partnering with this exceptional team.”
Sam Stratton, founder of Commotion Labs. 30 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does Zenithon AI do?
Zenithon AI builds AI world models that simulate extreme physics problems such as fusion reactor plasma, rocket engineering and semiconductor manufacturing, aiming to let engineers test many design variations faster than with conventional simulation software.
Who invested in Zenithon AI?
The $10 million seed round was led by Backed VC, Lunar Ventures, Seraphim Space, MMC Ventures and SOSV, with participation from angel investors, according to Tech Funding News.
What will Zenithon AI use the funding for?
The company says the funding will be split evenly between hiring and compute. It plans to release new models every three months and expand its team in London and the US.
