Full-Time
Research Engineer
Semiconductor
Updated on 8/22/2026
Periodic Labs
51-200 employees
AI-driven materials discovery and design
Compensation Overview
$220k - $300k/yr
H1B Sponsorship Available
Menlo Park, CA, USA
In Person
Master's, PhD
 Hardware Engineering (1) |
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- A Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, plus relevant industry experience.
- Semiconductor industry experience in device development or process integration, preferably from an integrated device manufacturer, foundry, or memory manufacturer.
- Strong command of device physics and integration flows, with a track record of demonstrating device performance in short-loop test vehicles.
- Hands-on fabrication experience spanning photolithography, laser direct-write lithography or e-beam lithography, thin-film deposition, etch, and metrology.
- A deep understanding of how materials selection and interface quality drive device performance.
- Proficiency in probe-station device measurement and the ability to architect and assemble custom electrical test setups.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous startup environment while implementing industry-standard best practices.
- Design, fabricate, and characterize short-loop device test vehicles that demonstrate material and device performance against clear electrical targets.
- Build patterned devices end-to-end using photolithography, direct-write laser lithography, or e-beam lithography, integrated with deposition, etch, and metrology.
- Deposit thin-film stacks with engineered, complex interfaces using physical vapor deposition, pulsed laser deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, and atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition techniques.
- Perform electrical characterization on probe stations and design and build custom measurement test benches where commercial tools fall short.
- Connect materials and interface properties to device outcomes, feeding insights back into film-stack and process development.
- Contribute technical expertise to customer-facing engagements by translating customer needs into experimental plans and results.
- Document experimental methodology, results, and learnings to feed internal knowledge and artificial intelligence training infrastructure.
- A strong condensed matter physics foundation, spintronics, magnetic materials, or quantum phenomena.
- Working knowledge of emerging memory and logic device architectures.
Periodic Labs uses AI to model, predict, analyze, and design new materials. Its platform studies material properties and high-throughput data to propose viable compositions, structures, and processing methods that meet performance targets. By training models on large scientific datasets and running simulations, the company speeds up discovery and lowers costs compared with traditional lab work, drawing on founders’ experience from OpenAI and DeepMind. The goal is to accelerate the discovery of materials for clean energy, better semiconductors, and resilient manufacturing, differentiating itself through deep AI expertise applied specifically to materials science and potential collaboration with major AI groups.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$300M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2025
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Periodic.com says it is helping a semiconductor manufacturer with chip heat dissipation.
- Company materials cite customers in space, defense, and semiconductors, plus early revenue.
- July 2026 website updates and investor support signal continued commercial momentum.
What critics are saying
- Robots were not yet operational in October 2025, slowing autonomous discovery.
- No externally verified discoveries exist by July 2026, despite massive funding and hype.
- A $7 billion valuation without proven breakthroughs creates an existential funding cliff.
What makes Periodic Labs unique
- Fedus and Cubuk combine OpenAI-scale model training with DeepMind materials expertise.
- Periodic loops AI predictions, robotic synthesis, and characterization into proprietary experiment data.
- The company targets superconductors first, then semiconductors, defense, and space.
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Benefits
Professional Development Budget
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -4%1 year growth
↓ -12%2 year growth
↓ -12%Former OpenAI researcher's startup Periodic Labs seeks $500 million for ai-driven scientific discovery. May 25, 2026 Periodic Labs is reportedly in advanced talks to raise at least $500 million in a new funding round that could value the company at $7.5 billion. The fundraising effort marks a sharp rise for the San Francisco-based startup, which was founded less than a year ago and focuses on using artificial intelligence and automated laboratories to accelerate scientific discovery in physics and chemistry. According to reports, the funding round is expected to be led by AMP, an investment vehicle created by former Andreessen Horowitz general partner Anjney Midha. Sources familiar with the deal said investor demand has been extremely strong, with the round reportedly oversubscribed and discussions already taking place around an additional funding round at an even higher valuation. If completed at the reported valuation, Periodic Labs' value would rise nearly six times from the $1.3 billion valuation it received during its $300 million seed round announced in September 2025. The company was founded by Liam Fedus, previously vice president of research at OpenAI, alongside Ekin Dogus Cubuk, a former research scientist at Google DeepMind. Periodic Labs is developing what it describes as an AI scientist capable of conducting scientific experiments through autonomous robotic laboratories. The company's technology combines artificial intelligence models with automated lab systems designed to run thousands of experiments in areas such as chemistry and physics. The goal is to generate new scientific data and speed up the discovery of advanced materials. One of the company's current research areas involves searching for new superconductors capable of operating at higher temperatures. Such materials could eventually improve energy systems, electronics, and industrial technologies. Periodic Labs is also working with companies in the semiconductor industry, where its AI-driven research tools are being used to support product development and scientific testing. The startup has already attracted high-profile talent from major AI companies. Reports indicate the company has hired more than 20 researchers from firms including Meta, OpenAI, and DeepMind, with some employees reportedly leaving large compensation packages to join the venture. The rise of Periodic Labs reflects a growing trend in the global artificial intelligence industry, where researchers are increasingly focusing on AI systems capable of scientific reasoning and autonomous discovery rather than only consumer chatbots. Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, has repeatedly described scientific discovery as one of AI's most important long-term uses. Similarly, Demis Hassabis has argued that solving intelligence through AI could help solve major scientific and societal challenges, pointing to breakthroughs such as AlphaFold's protein-folding research, which contributed to his Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024. As investment in AI infrastructure and research accelerates globally, startups like Periodic Labs are attracting increasing attention from investors seeking to back technologies capable of transforming scientific research and industrial innovation. Don't miss an update. Be the first to know when Techwithafrica publish something new May 21, 2026 In "Opportunities" Algeria has launched its first startup cluster focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, as part of a wider plan to turn its strong pool of technical talent into real economic growth. The new cluster is based at the Scientific and Technological Pole Chahid Abdelhafid-Ihaddaden in Sidi Abdellah. It was introduced... April 21, 2026 In "Artificial Intelligence" April 21, 2026 In "Artificial Intelligence"
Periodic Labs has raised from a tech industry who's who, including Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, Elad Gil, Jeff Dean, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Bezos.
Venture firm Andreessen Horowitz has agreed to lead a $200 million investment in Periodic Labs, a new startup building artificial intelligence for material science, according to people familiar with the matter.