Glasgow-based digital chemistry firm, Chemify, has unveiled its first Chemifarm – a fully automated chemistry facility that combines chemical programming, robotics, and AI as part of an advanced laboratory for molecular design and synthesis.

Based in Glasgow’s Maryhill district, the new site brings together Chemify’s AI-powered molecular design engine with industrial-scale robotic synthesis, which the firm said can cut the time from concept to compound, speeding up the discovery of small-molecule medicines and advanced materials.

At the heart of the Chemifarm is Chemify’s bespoke ‘Chemputation’ platform, a combination of custom programming language, modular robotics, and the world’s largest and fastest-growing library of validated chemical reactions. 

Together, they allow for the on-demand design, optimisation, and scale-up of molecules once thought to be out of reach.

“The first Chemifarm is a watershed moment for molecular innovation,” said Lee Cronin, CEO and founder of Chemify. 

“By combining automation, AI and scalable synthesis, we can now move from code to compound faster than ever, fuelling breakthroughs in drug discovery, materials science and beyond.”

The facility features dedicated production suites, R&D labs, engineering and fabrication zones and a secure cloud architecture capable of storing petabytes of high-resolution chemical data for AI-powered analysis, with the new site set to prototype next-gen hardware destined for future Chemify sites.

Named the University of Glasgow’s Spin-out of the Year in 2024, Chemify has already raised tens of millions in funding, including from investors in Hong Kong and the US, with the company claiming partnerships with major pharmaceutical, biotech and science companies, offering on-demand access to bespoke molecules for early-stage research and development.

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The firm said that its new Chemifarm will be integral to future R&D efforts to develop more innovative chemical compounds with specific properties for drug discovery, advanced materials, industrial chemicals, and other specialities.

The £12 million project is supported through the Glasgow City Region Innovation Accelerator Programme, delivered by Innovate UK, while Scottish Enterprise provided a grant of £1.1 million to Chemify for the scheme. 

“Chemify is a stand-out success story within our emerging innovation economy, one that’s both enhancing Glasgow’s reputation as an international centre of science and ingenuity while transforming the world of chemical production,” said councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council.

“The Chemifarm takes the company’s presence in Glasgow to a new level, where it can continue to build on the City Region’s support to create quality new jobs and leverage further private investment as its success grows.”