Deep.Meta, an AI startup based at Imperial College London, has been shortlisted for the second Manchester Prize, a government-backed award recognising artificial intelligence breakthroughs for public benefit. This year’s competition focuses on clean energy, with Deep.Meta earning recognition for its efforts to decarbonise the steel industry.
The company’s core technology, Deep.Optimiser-PhyX, is an AI-powered digital twin that predicts the temperature of steel slabs in real time, improving scheduling, boosting energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions. Unlike opaque AI systems, Deep.Meta’s models are physics-based and explainable, building trust in an industry typically cautious about new technologies.
Founder and CEO Dr Osas Omoigiade, who studied steel metallurgy at Imperial, called the recognition a major milestone. “It means a great deal to me and my team to be a Manchester Prize finalist,” said Dr Omoigiade. Each finalist receives £100,000 in seed funding and £60,000 in computing credits, with the grand prize winner awarded £1 million. Deep.Meta’s goal is to cut emissions in steelmaking by 20 per cent.
Early trials with the Materials Processing Institute, Spartan UK and Grosvenor showed promising results. Deep.Optimiser reduced energy use by 24 kilowatt hours per tonne of steel, cut emissions by 5 per cent and boosted productivity by 20 per cent. The company has since secured its first UK customer and attracted international investment.
As steelmakers shift to electric arc furnaces, which place huge demands on the power grid, Dr Omoigiade said innovations like Deep.Meta’s are vital. “A single EAF can use enough electricity in one day to power half of Oxford,” he said. The company’s technology aims to support both sustainability and grid resilience.
Launched by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, the Manchester Prize promotes UK-led AI solutions with public benefit. Last year’s winner, Imperial spinout Polaron, cut materials design times from decades to days, underlining the university’s role in nurturing transformative AI ventures.
Baroness Julia King, chair of the judging panel, stressed AI’s role in reaching net zero. “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.
Deep.Meta’s progress—from academic research to commercial deployment—highlights the UK’s growing ecosystem for AI-driven sustainability. As the clean energy transition gathers pace, such technologies will be central to building efficient, low-carbon industries that support long-term economic growth.
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