P2 Science Selected to Receive $2.8m In Federal Funding for New Technologies That Aim to Accelerate Catalyst Innovation Through AI-Enhanced Autonomous Labs

Posted on April 13th, 2026 | Filed under Press Releases

Funding Part of Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Program to dramatically accelerate industrial catalyst development for fuels and chemicals production

WOODBRIDGE, Conn., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — P2 Science announced that it has been selected to receive $2.8M in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This funding is provided through the Catalytic Application Testing for Accelerated Learning Chemistries via High-throughput Experimentation and Modeling Efficiently (CATALCHEM-E) program. The program aims to drastically cut catalyst development from a decade to a single year by integrating machine learning, AI-guided design, and high-throughput experimentation into seamless, automated discovery workflows, ultimately delivering 10x faster progress in validating crucial industrial catalysts for fuels and chemicals.

P2 aims to dramatically speed up the discovery of catalysts for converting plant-based feedstocks, such as oils and resins from pine trees and citrus waste, into high-performance liquid fuels. The project will combine advanced robotics with machine learning in an automated system to rapidly test thousands of catalyst candidates. This approach will allow the team to identify catalysts that perform under milder, more efficient conditions, enabling the production of fuels compatible with existing engines, including in aviation.

“The discovery of efficient, low-energy transformations of biorenewable feedstocks has historically been highly complex and time consuming,” said Patrick Foley, Co-Founder and President of P2. “Through CATALCHEM-E, we can fundamentally change this paradigm by combining P2’s expertise in renewable feedstocks and catalytic processes with AI-driven design and autonomous experimentation. By dramatically accelerating how quickly we can discover and optimize catalysts, this work brings us closer to scalable, low-carbon fuels and chemicals that can meaningfully impact global emissions.”

The project, named HEAT FACTORY, combines P2’s expertise in the process intensified conversion of natural feedstocks, with The Matter Lab’s globally recognized leadership in AI/ML materials discovery, and The National Labs of the Rockies’ cutting-edge computational reaction modeling. As a result, this project will meaningfully advance progress toward greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050, which will require moving away from high-emission fuels and rethinking how energy and materials are produced.

ABOUT P2 Science
P2 Science is a green chemistry company, spun out of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University, that designs and manufactures renewable specialty ingredients for the personal care, flavor & fragrance, and performance materials markets. Using the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry as its foundation, P2 develops proprietary chemical processes and products inspired by nature’s chemistry to deliver high performance with sustainability at scale. For more information, visit http://www.p2science.com

Media Contact:
Kate Drummond
P2 Science
[email protected]

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