# Chad Edwards

Co-founder and CEO, CuspAI. TIME100 AI 2026, Thinkers. His startup CuspAI used AI to narrow 300 trillion possible structures to 20 molecules that might pull 'forever chemicals' out of water. ([time.com](https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/chad-edwards/))

- Education: MBA, Alliance Manchester Business School; PhD, Nuclear fission and computational quantum chemistry, University of Manchester; PhD, Nuclear fission and computational quantum chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; Master's, Chemistry, University of Manchester ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardschad), [londontechweek.com](https://londontechweek.com/speakers/chad-edwards-knc1))
- Career: CuspAI (Co-founder and CEO, 2024 to now); Quantinuum (VP of Strategic Partnerships and Global Head of Strategy, 2018–2024) ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardschad), [siliconvalleyinvestclub.com](https://siliconvalleyinvestclub.com/companies/cusp/team/dr-chad-edwards/), [londontechweek.com](https://londontechweek.com/speakers/chad-edwards-knc1))
- TIME profile: https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/chad-edwards/
- Profile: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/most-influential-people-in-ai/chad-edwards

- A trained chemist whose PhD covered nuclear fission and computational quantum chemistry, much of it spent making materials in a lab. ([siliconvalleyinvestclub.com](https://siliconvalleyinvestclub.com/companies/cusp/team/dr-chad-edwards/))
- Helped grow Cambridge Quantum from 14 to 550 employees, landing early customers such as Airbus, BMW and Roche. ([siliconvalleyinvestclub.com](https://siliconvalleyinvestclub.com/companies/cusp/team/dr-chad-edwards/))
- In late 2023 he read papers suggesting machine learning could transform materials discovery without waiting for quantum computers, and started CuspAI. ([siliconvalleyinvestclub.com](https://siliconvalleyinvestclub.com/companies/cusp/team/dr-chad-edwards/))
- CuspAI's work with Kemira searched about 300 trillion possible structures to find materials for removing PFAS from drinking water. ([time.com](https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/chad-edwards/))
- CuspAI raised $450 million in July 2026 at a $2.6 billion valuation, about two years after it was founded. ([time.com](https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/chad-edwards/))
- Co-founded CuspAI with machine learning professor Max Welling. ([vestbee.com](https://vestbee.com/insights/articles/cusp-ai-raises-450-m))