London-based AI lab, Inherent, has raised $50 million in a seed round to develop AI technology that identifies valuable scientific questions. The funding was led by Index Ventures and Radical Ventures, with participation from Nvidia’s NVentures and others. Inherent’s founding team includes former DeepMind, Microsoft, and Reka AI researchers, with notable figures such as Tantum Collins and Edward Hughes, who have a background in cooperative AI research. Collins also brings experience from AI policy work at the White House.
Inherent is developing a platform named Faraday, aimed at addressing the gap in AI’s ability to determine which scientific questions are worth exploring. Unlike traditional AI, which focuses on answering questions, Faraday will pair human researchers with self-improving AI agents to tackle complex scientific problems, a concept termed “AI-native science.” This approach is expected to differ significantly from the conventional scientific method.
Structured as a public benefit corporation, Inherent emphasizes societal impact alongside financial returns. This reflects a growing trend among European AI startups, which are increasingly securing substantial funding, narrowing the gap with their American counterparts. The initiative is seen as a step towards enabling discoveries that human researchers alone might not achieve, with AI exploring hypotheses more rapidly while humans provide essential judgment and ethical oversight. The success of Faraday in realizing AI-native science will require time to assess, supported by the substantial investment.
