Periodic Labs, a startup founded by some of the most influential minds in artificial intelligence, launched out of stealth on Tuesday with a massive $300 million seed round.

The funding, unusually large for a company at this stage, reflects the ambition of its mission: to automate scientific discovery through AI-driven laboratories.

The round was backed by an elite roster of investors from both the tech and scientific worlds, including Andreessen Horowitz, DST, Nvidia, Accel, Elad Gil, Jeff Dean, Eric Schmidt, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

From AI Breakthroughs to Scientific Frontiers

Periodic Labs was founded by Ekin Dogus Cubuk and Liam Fedus. Cubuk previously led the materials and chemistry team at Google Brain and DeepMind, where he helped develop GNoME, an AI tool that discovered more than 2 million new crystals in 2023—materials researchers say could one day power entirely new generations of technology.

Fedus, meanwhile, is a former VP of Research at OpenAI and one of the creators of ChatGPT. He also led the team behind the first trillion-parameter neural network. The company’s small team is composed of scientists and engineers who have worked on major AI and materials science initiatives, including OpenAI’s agent Operator and Microsoft’s MatterGen, a large language model for materials discovery.

Automating Discovery

Periodic Labs describes its mission as building “AI scientists.” In practice, this means creating labs where robots conduct experiments, collect data, and learn from each cycle, iterating in ways that mimic and potentially accelerate the scientific method.

The startup’s first focus is superconductors—materials capable of conducting electricity with little to no resistance. Today’s superconductors are expensive, difficult to produce, and require extreme conditions like supercooling. If Periodic Labs can invent new materials that perform better under easier conditions, it could reshape industries from power transmission to computing.

Another priority is building a vast database of physical-world data generated by its AI scientists. “Until now, scientific AI advances have come from models trained on the internet,” the company said in a blog post. But with the internet as a data source now “exhausted,” Periodic Labs argues that the next breakthroughs will depend on fresh, real-world experimental data.

A Field Heating Up

While Periodic Labs is one of the most heavily funded entrants in this space, it is not alone. Automating chemistry and materials discovery with AI has been a growing focus of academic research since at least 2023. Startups such as Tetsuwan Scientific, nonprofits like Future House, and institutions like the University of Toronto’s Acceleration Consortium are also exploring how machine learning can accelerate breakthroughs in materials science.

But Periodic’s $300 million seed round sets it apart. It represents one of the largest initial financings for a science-focused AI company and suggests that Silicon Valley’s top investors believe the combination of AI and lab automation could lead to transformative discoveries.

Beyond AI Chatbots

The launch highlights a broader shift in the AI sector. For years, breakthroughs like ChatGPT and generative image models have defined public understanding of AI. But with models trained largely on the internet reaching diminishing returns, investors are now backing ventures that can create their own experimental data.

Companies like Periodic Labs hope to do for physical science what ChatGPT did for language: compress decades of trial-and-error into accelerated cycles of learning. Compared with efforts in pharmaceuticals, where AI is already being used to predict drug candidates, materials discovery has lagged. Periodic’s deep pockets and star-studded founding team suggest that may soon change.

The opportunity is believed to be about scale: creating not just one AI scientist, but many, each running thousands of experiments to invent materials that today exist only in theory.

BlockDAG’s bold sponsorship of the BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team has placed it firmly in the spotlight, adding global visibility to an already growing ecosystem. At the same time, Algorand has reported a 66% increase in transactions and nearly 69% surge in whale holdings, signaling rising institutional interest. VeChain, while quieter in market movement, continues to refine its utility roadmap with staking upgrades, interoperability tools, and enterprise adoption.

But among these three, BlockDAG (BDAG) is the only protocol combining real-world marketing firepower with verified infrastructure rollout.

With nearly $415 million raised in its presale, more than 26.5 billion BDAG coins sold, and a current ROI of 2900% since Batch 1, BlockDAG is not just a promotional story, it’s a functioning ecosystem priced at $0.0015, despite Batch 30 pricing at $0.03. For investors looking for the top crypto coins 2025, this is a rare blend of technical substance and branding reach.

BlockDAG: From Presale to Pit Lane

BlockDAG has made its mark by turning a crypto presale into a multimedia campaign. The partnership with the BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team puts the BDAG brand on one of the most competitive racing platforms on Earth. Race car branding, digital experiences, fan zones, and activation events at high-visibility races like the Singapore Grand Prix and Token2049 create a feedback loop of trust, reach, and community participation.

But this is more than just branding. BlockDAG’s core infrastructure is rolling out in real time. Its Awakening Testnet is now live, and features miner syncing, explorer tools, DAG + PoW consensus, and account abstraction, all of which solidify its long-term value proposition. The presale itself speaks volumes: nearly $415 million raised, a locked price of $0.0015, despite Batch 30 pricing at $0.03, and an ROI of 2900% since Batch 1.

With over 26.5 billion coins sold and 20,000+ physical miners shipped, BlockDAG is delivering tech and traction. While other Layer?1s struggle to distinguish themselves in a saturated market, BlockDAG is driving both adoption and awareness by meeting users on-chain and offline. These moves place it at the front of the line when discussing the best crypto to buy now.

Algorand: Metrics with Momentum

Algorand has always emphasized technical rigor, and its latest numbers indicate renewed attention. According to on-chain data from September 21, 2025, transaction volume surged 66% week-over-week. Even more significantly, whale holdings increased by approximately 68.77%, suggesting that large investors are regaining confidence.

However, despite the surge in network activity, ALGO’s price remains stuck between $0.16 and $0.25, with a critical Fibonacci resistance at $0.25 blocking any immediate breakout. For Algorand to transition from accumulation to price discovery, it will need to break above this threshold with strong volume.

That said, the protocol’s core architecture based on fast, low-cost, and secure smart contract execution remains intact. It continues to be a go-to platform for developers looking for scalability without sacrificing decentralization. Still, it lacks the real-world partnerships or mass-market branding needed to drive retail excitement.

VeChain: Silent Utility, Steady Foundations

VeChain offers a different kind of crypto story. It trades quietly at around $0.025, showing minimal volatility but maintaining strong utility fundamentals. While its price action is subdued, VeChain has consistently built partnerships in supply chain management, real-world asset tokenization, and enterprise integration.

The recently announced “Renaissance” roadmap upgrades VeChain’s protocol governance, staking models, and interoperability frameworks. These changes are geared toward making VeChain a more robust platform for enterprise use cases, especially in logistics, food safety, carbon tracking, and luxury goods authentication.

Still, the lack of retail-facing marketing and slow-moving token price can dampen speculative interest. Unlike BlockDAG, which is attracting attention through visual dominance and product rollouts, VeChain’s growth is institutional and methodical. It’s unlikely to generate overnight returns, but its utility-driven foundation may reward long-term holders.

Final Thought

In the race toward 2025, BlockDAG, Algorand, and VeChain each bring strengths, but BlockDAG leads in execution and visibility. Algorand’s network growth is meaningful, and VeChain continues to deliver enterprise-grade infrastructure. Yet only BlockDAG combines crypto presale momentum, real-world sponsorship, and live technical rollouts.

With nearly $415 million raised, 26.5 billion coins sold, a 2900% ROI from Batch 1, and a presale still offering $0.0015 pricing, BlockDAG offers unmatched upside. Its sponsorship with the BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team is more than marketing; it’s validation. For those seeking the top crypto coins 2025, BlockDAG’s trajectory looks the most complete and compelling.

Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Website: https://blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu