AI Startup Deep.Meta Eyes £1M Manchester Prize
Digital twin designed to reduce carbon emissions from steel-making is chosen as an example of AI for the public good.
Deep.Meta, a startup with roots at Imperial, has been shortlisted for the second Manchester Prize, a government-run competition for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence for the public good. The company follows in the footsteps of Imperial spinout Polaron, which won the inaugural Manchester Prize in March this year.
This round of the Manchester Prize is focused on AI solutions that will help the UK achieve a clean energy system. In the case of Deep.Meta, this involves using an AI-powered digital twin to reduce carbon emissions in the steel industry.
This system, called Deep.Optimiser-PhyX, uses real-time data to accurately predict steel slab temperatures inside the furnace. This makes it possible to improve scheduling, boost energy efficiency and significantly cut emissions.
The system was also selected for its explainable approach. Unlike black-box AI, Deep.Meta’s physics-based models offer clear reasoning, which it is hoped will build trust with users and encourage adoption.
“It means a great deal to me and my team to be a Manchester Prize finalist,” said Dr Osas Omoigiade, the founder and chief executive of Deep.Meta. “It will enable us to have the additional capacity to be able to achieve our goal, which is a 20% reduction of emissions in the steel industry.”
Each of the ten teams shortlisted has been awarded £100,000 in seed funding plus £60,000 in computing resource to develop their solutions further, with one of the finalists set to receive a grand prize of £1 million next spring.
Dr Omoigiade studied materials science at Imperial as an undergraduate, before going to the University of Cambridge for his master’s degree. He returned to Imperial’s Department of Materials to complete an industry-sponsored PhD in steel metallurgy, and then worked in the private sector before deciding to set up his own company in 2020.
“Deep.Meta brings together all of my work experiences in sustainability and manufacturing, as well as my PhD in steel metallurgy,” he said.
Early in its journey, Deep.Meta participated in the Venture Catalyst Challenge, Imperial’s flagship programme for student and alumni entrepreneurs, winning that year’s energy and environment track. It then went on to The Greenhouse, the accelerator programme for climate-related startups and spinouts run by Undaunted, a partnership between Imperial and The Royal Institution.
At the same time it raised around £500,000 from a group of angels and venture capitalists, before securing a £1.9 million Innovate UK grant to further explore the potential benefits of its system with partners including the Materials Processing Institute, steel re-roller Spartan UK, and real estate company Grosvenor. Completion of this project early in 2025 led to the formal launch of the Deep.Optimiser.
Dr Omoigiade thinks there is no time to be lost. “As steel producers transition to electric arc furnaces, the demand on the power grid will rise sharply,” he says. “To put it in perspective, a single EAF can use enough electricity in one day to power half of Oxford. Our AI technology helps reduce energy consumption, making their operations more efficient, sustainable and grid-friendly.”
According to Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, who chairs this year’s Manchester Prize judging panel, clean energy innovation such as this is essential to keep the journey to net zero on track. “The rapid advancement of AI means we have tools like never before to achieve the goal of decarbonising the economy while supporting individuals, communities and businesses to thrive,” she said, announcing the shortlist.
Photos courtesy Challenge Works
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/265233/ai-startup-deepmeta-shortlisted-million-manchester