CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 9, 2026--
Axiomatic AI, the company building the verification standard for engineering-focused artificial intelligence, today announced an $18 million seed round, bringing total funding to $25 million. The company integrates frontier AI models with formal mathematical and physics-based verification to deliver interpretable, provable reasoning for critical and emerging technology. As engineering complexity accelerates across semiconductors, photonics, and advanced manufacturing, Axiomatic AI is establishing the intelligent infrastructure layer required for AI to operate reliably inside physical law. The round was led by Engine Ventures, with additional participating investors including Kleiner Perkins, Big Sur Ventures, Global Vision Capital, Propagator Ventures, and Liquid 2. Axiomatic will use the new capital to expand enterprise deployments and deepen integration of its verification platform into complex science and engineering workflows.
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Axiomatic’s core technology, Axiomatic Intelligence™, is purpose-built for engineering and science. It combines frontier AI models with both mathematical and physics-based verification and domain-specific knowledge that compound in value with use. Unlike conventional AI systems, which can generate plausible-sounding outputs but can’t verify those outputs against the laws of physics, validate assumptions, or quantify uncertainty, Axiomatic Intelligence delivers interpretable, physics-grounded reasoning with formal auditability. This enables Axiomatic’s products to automate and orchestrate complex engineering workflows, all while verifying correctness and consistency at multiple levels: fundamental physical principles, design principles, and logical reasoning.
Today’s AI can suggest designs. It cannot prove they obey physics. Even the most advanced generative models require extensive human oversight in high-stakes scientific and engineering workflows, limiting productivity gains and introducing systemic risk. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identifies hallucinations and ‘cheating’ as key challenges in deploying large language models (LLMs) safely. Engineers and scientists require systems that reflect physical reality and provide formal guarantees. Manual verification erodes productivity and increases risk, particularly as industries face significant workforce shortages. In the semiconductor industry alone, the U.S. is already facing a workforce shortage, requiring ~160,000 new engineering roles by 2032 to support domestic expansion and reshoring efforts.
“We are defining the standard that science and engineering AI must meet,” said Jake Taylor, CEO of Axiomatic AI. “As demand for the hardware underpinning our economy accelerates, machine learning systems must move beyond assistance into accountable collaboration. AI that cannot justify its reasoning, to the level needed for engineering, cannot scale into high-stakes technical domains. Our focus must be on shifting the baseline of technical intelligence to verifiable outcomes that connect to physical reality.”
Axiomatic’s early access program includes several enterprises in the Fortune 100 and 500, including major semiconductor equipment manufacturers, foundries and fabless design organizations, technology companies focused on photonics, as well as engagements with top-tier non-profit research institutions. Axiomatic AI’s long-term ambition is to become the authoritative workflow platform for science and engineering organizations operating in high-stakes domains. As more solvers, constraints, and enterprise workflows are integrated, the platform compounds in value and establishes verification and orchestration as baseline requirements for engineering AI.
“Science and engineering are the backbone of modern civilization. The shift from prediction to provable reasoning will define the next era of AI adoption in critical industries,” said Israel Ruiz, President and General Partner at Engine Ventures. “Axiomatic is building the infrastructure layer that makes that shift possible.”
Axiomatic was founded by a team of globally recognized experts in physics, photonics, and electrical engineering including Dirk Englund, an MIT Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Frank Koppens, a Group Leader and Professor at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Joyce Poon, a University of Toronto Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Marin Soljačić, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT and MacArthur Fellow. The company is led by CEO Jake Taylor, formerly Assistant Director for Quantum Information Science at the White House and Senior Advisor for Critical and Emerging Technologies at NIST.
"Humanity's greatest achievement– the scientific method– could become sidelined by black-box AI. When we started Axiomatic AI, the core mission was to build a different kind of system–one in which reasoning would be rooted in math, deductive reasoning, and interpretability, so that engineers and scientists are empowered rather than replaced by machines," said Dirk Englund, co-founder of Axiomatic and MIT Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
For more information on Axiomatic, or to sign up for beta access or view open career opportunities, visit axiomatic-ai.com. The company will also be presenting at OFC in Los Angeles March 17-21 – email contact@axiomatic-ai.com to coordinate a meeting.
About Axiomatic AI
Founded in 2024, Axiomatic AI builds the infrastructure required for verified engineering intelligence. Its proprietary platform, Axiomatic Intelligence™, integrates frontier models with formal verification and uncertainty quantification to deliver reliable AI for science and critical hardware systems. Axiomatic is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and backed by Engine Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Big Sur Ventures, and more. For more information, visit axiomatic-ai.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.
Jake Taylor, CEO
Iran has launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf countries while more than a week of heavy U.S. and Israeli bombardment continues. Iranian state TV announced early Monday that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has been named supreme leader in defiance of threats by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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The Pentagon last week formally designated the San Francisco tech company a “supply chain risk” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology.
The lawsuits aim to undo the designation and block its enforcement, and come after an unusually public dispute over how Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude could be used in warfare.
Anthropic filed two separate lawsuits Monday, one in California federal court and another in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., each challenging different aspects of the Pentagon’s actions against the company.
▶ Read more about Anthropic and the U.S. military
The Pentagon has identified the seventh U.S. service member killed in combat during the Iran war as Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.
Pennington died Sunday after being wounded during an attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, a Pentagon statement said.
He was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade that is based at Fort Carson, Colorado. The unit’s mission focused on “missile warning, GPS, and long-haul satellite communications,” according to its website.
Pennington was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to an Army press release.
Six Army reservists were killed in Kuwait when an Iranian drone struck an operations center at a civilian port
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a relative moderate in Iran’s Shiite theocracy, wrote on X that “solving the country’s problems can be achieved through his wise leadership and by creating an atmosphere built on people’s trust and participation.”
The supreme leader, chosen by a clerical body, has the final say on all major policies, including war, peace and the country’s disputed nuclear program.
Cluster bombs travel through the air then burst open before landing, breaking up into dozens or hundreds of smaller bomblets to maximize the likelihood of hitting targets.
Col. Jonathan Raz of Israel’s Home Front Command said Monday that the area of Yehud in the country’s center was hit by a cluster bomb, killing at least one person and leaving others in critical condition.
Israel’s military said Iran has been using cluster bombs on a “nearly daily basis,” noting that Iran fired similar projectiles during the previous 12-day war last June.
The U.N. children’s agency says deaths and injuries to children since Israel retaliated in Lebanon for Hezbollah strikes are “staggering.”
UNICEF’s Middle East director Edouard Beigbeder said that according to the latest reports at least 83 children have been killed and 254 wounded since March 2.
That’s more than 10 children killed, and approximately 36 injured, every day, he said in a statement.
Beigbeder said the figures “are a stark testament to the toll that conflict is taking on children.”
“As military strikes continue across the country, children are being killed and injured at a horrifying rate, families are fleeing their homes in fear, and thousands of children are now sleeping in cold and overcrowded shelters,” he said.
Checkpoints on the border between Iran and Turkmenistan have begun operating 24 hours a day to facilitate the transit of those seeking to leave Iran amid the war with the U.S. and Israel, Turkmenistan’s officials said Monday.
So far, some 250 people from 16 countries have crossed into the Central Asian nation from Iran, officials said. Those crossing into Turkmenistan are being offered food and assistance in contacting their families or embassies.
Turkmenistan, a former Soviet country that has remained largely isolated under autocratic rule since it gained independence, shares a 1,148-kilometer (713-mile) border with Iran. During the Israel-Iran war in 2025, Turkmenistan, despite its harsh visa policies, provided an evacuation corridor for more than 4,000 people from 52 countries who sought to leave Iran.
The United Arab Emirates announced Monday the deaths of two noncombat members of its armed forces following the crash of a helicopter due to a “technical malfunction.”
This comes as the ministry continues to work against what it said were hundreds of missiles and drones fired by Iran toward the country in a war that started over a week ago.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Monday also urged deescalating the conflict in the region to avoid further “unprecedented repercussions” that could impact global economy and energy security.
“The national security of Arab countries is an integral part of Egyptian national security,” he said during an EU video conference held with some Arab leaders to discuss U.S.-Israel war on Iran, according to a statement by the president’s office.
El-Sissi also called for supporting Lebanon and exerting efforts to “prevent Israel from invading Lebanon during this difficult stage” and targeting the country’s infrastructure.
The secretary of state says the United States is “well on our way” to destroying Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and the world with missiles.
Speaking Monday at a State Department ceremony to honor Americans wrongfully detained abroad in countries including in Iran, Rubio said the goal of the continuing U.S. air strikes is to eliminate Iran’s ballistic missile stockpile, its ability to produce them and its ability to launch them.
“We are well on our way to achieving that objective” he said, adding that it is being done “with overwhelming force, with overwhelming precision.”
The Trump administration has designated the Sudan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, accusing it of getting training and other support from Iran. It’s the fourth chapter of the group the U.S. has hit with the label.
The State Department said Monday that the Sudan branch would be classified as a “specially designated global terrorist” group with immediate effect and would be labeled a “foreign terrorist organization” once a congressional review of the move is complete on March 16. It said the group was responsible for “mass executions of civilians” among other things.
The SDGT designation imposes sanctions but the FTO designation ramps up those penalties to include making it a crime to provide material support for the group or its members.
The administration has previously designated the Lebanese branch of the group an FTO and the chapters in Egypt and Jordan as SDGTs.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that “it is up to this regime and the so-called Revolutionary Guard alone to stop the fighting.”
He added that “so long as this not the case, I assume that Israel and America will continue their defense against this regime.”
Merz said the threat posed by the Iranian government reaches far beyond the region, pointing to its support for Russia in the war in Ukraine. He said that “Iran is the center of international terrorism, and this center must be closed. And the Americans and Israelis are doing that in their way.”
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said Monday it intercepted all 17 missiles and six drones launched from Iran toward the Gulf nation on Monday, as Iran continues to attack neighboring Arab states. There was no damage or casualties, the ministry said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine had received 11 requests from countries seeking assistance in countering threats linked to Iran. They include Iran’s neighbors, European countries and the United States.
Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said the requests focus on Ukraine’s experience in defending against drones, including interceptor systems, electronic warfare and training.
He said Kyiv is ready to help those who helped defend Ukrainian lives and independence. He added that Kyiv had already responded to some requests with specific decisions and support, and would consider further assistance as long as it does not weaken Ukraine’s own defenses.
“Ukraine’s priority is clear: the Iranian regime must not gain any advantage over those defending lives, and everyone must work together to achieve tangible stabilization both in the region and in global markets,” Ukrainian leader said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said he condemned Iran’s attacks on civilians in Gulf nations and other actions that threaten freedom of navigation and safety in the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.
Motegi said he repeated Japan’s position that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons. He also insisted that Iran promptly release two Japanese nationals. Motegi said Araghchi provided Iran’s position and promised his country’s full cooperation in ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said debris from the downed Iranian missile fell on empty fields in Gaziantep province, in southern Turkey. There was no damage or casualties.
The ministry stressed that while Turkey values peaceful relations and stability in the region, it would not hesitate to act if its land or airspace is threatened.
“We once again emphasize that all necessary steps will be taken firmly and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country’s territory or airspace,” the statement read. “We remind everyone that complying with Turkey’s warnings in this regard is in everyone’s interest.”
The statement said the missile was downed by NATO units stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.
Monday’s interception was second since the start of the Iran war. Iran has fired missiles and drones at several countries across the region since the United States and Israel attacked it over a week ago.
The United Arab Emirates says 15 ballistic missiles and 18 drones were fired on the Gulf country on Monday.
That has brought the total projectiles fired at the UAE since the start of the U.S. and Israel war against Iran to 253 missiles and 1,440 drones, the Emirati Defense Ministry said. Four foreign nationals have been killed and 117 people wounded in the attacks, it said.
The U.S. State Department on Monday ordered non‑emergency staff and family members to leave the U.S. Consulate in Adana, in southern Turkey. It also advised American citizens to depart southeast Turkey.
The decision marks the 10th U.S. diplomatic mission placed on ordered departure since the start of the war with Iran, and the first such move involving a NATO ally.
Israel said it had begun “a wide-scale wave of strikes” in Tehran, Isfahan and in southern Iran.
In the early days of the war there were barrages with dozens of missiles, but that has dropped to less than 10 or 20 missiles being launched at a time, said Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani.
Iran is still firing missiles frequently toward Israel, sending people running for shelter multiple times per day, especially in central Israel.
Shoshani noted that Iran still has “a significant amount” of missiles, as Israel has concentrated on attacking Iran’s missile launchers rather than its weapons arsenals. Israel claimed previously it has destroyed around 60% of Iran’s launchers and has also targeted missile production facilities.
Funeral processions were held Monday for two Palestinian women and a 12-year-old girl who were killed in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.
The three were killed Sunday when tank shelling hit two tents in Abu Shemeis camp for displaced people in central Gaza, according to Awda Hospital. A 6-month-old boy was severely wounded, it said.
The camp is located around 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the so-called Yellow Line separating Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza. The dead included a journalist, Amal Shamali, who worked for Radio Qatar, according to the hospital.
The Israeli military didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Lebanon’s state news agency said legislators voted 76-41 with four abstentions. Hezbollah’s 13-member bloc in parliament voted in favor of the extension.
The latest conflict with Israel that began last week has displaced over half a million people and made it difficult to organize a vote in large parts of the country. The next parliamentary elections had been scheduled for May.
Iran has been using cluster munitions against Israel on a “nearly daily basis,” an Israeli military spokesperson said Monday. He said Iran had fired similar missiles at Israel during the 12-day war last June.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that the cluster munitions fired at Israel so far have targeted Israel’s most “densely populated civilian areas” in Jerusalem and central Israel.
A cluster munition is a bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller “bomblets” across a wide area. The bomblets are designed to take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to congratulate him on becoming Iran’s new leader.
The message, published on the Kremlin’s website Monday, reaffirmed Moscow’s “unwavering support for Tehran,” and said that “Russia has been and will remain a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic.”
“At a time when Iran is opposing armed aggression, your tenure in this high post will undoubtedly require great courage and dedication. I am sure that you will honorably continue your father’s work and unite the Iranian people,” Putin’s message read.
There was no advance warning, suggesting rocket fire from Lebanon.
In naming Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader, the Assembly of Experts and Iranian state media referred to him as “ayatollah,” one of the highest titles given to clerics within Shiite Islam. Khamenei’s father, Ali, similarly became an ayatollah with his appointment as supreme leader in 1989.
French President Emmanuel Macron says Group of Seven nations could dip into their emergency oil stockpiles in response to soaring energy prices.
Speaking to reporters en route to a visit to Cyprus, Macron said “the use of strategic reserves is an envisaged option.” He said G7 leaders could meet this week to coordinate a response to climbing energy prices, expected via a call or a video conference. France currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group.
Separately, finance ministers from the G7 nations are meeting Monday afternoon by video conference to discuss the repercussions from the Iran war.
The man was killed in an attack that targeted central Israel.
It marked the first death from missiles in Israel in a week.
Mourners carry the bodies of Hezbollah fighters who were killed by Israeli airstrikes during their funeral procession in Khraibeh village, eastern Lebanon, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Israeli tanks are parked in a staging area in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, Israel, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
This image taken from video provided by Iran state TV shows Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's slain supreme leader, who has been named as the Islamic Republic's next ruler, authorities announced Monday, March 9, 2026. (Iran state TV via AP)
Flames rise from an oil storage facility south of the capital Tehran as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israel military campaign, Iran, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
