London-based Zenithon AI has raised $10 million in seed funding to develop AI world models for extreme physics. The round was led by Backed, with participation from Lunar Ventures, Seraphim Space, MMC Ventures and SOSV.
Zenithon was co-founded by Alex Higginbottom and Abetharan Antony. The company develops physics-grounded machine-learning models designed to accelerate simulations for complex engineering systems, with applications across fusion energy, aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing.
The startup says its world models can explore up to one million design points in the time required to run a single conventional simulation, allowing engineering teams to evaluate a wider range of potential designs and learn from experimental data.
The new capital will support further model development, team expansion and the company’s expansion in the United States.
