Global AI‑robotics R&D leader deepens presence in the North West, spotlighting the region’s talent, innovation assets and investor‑ready sites.
Press Release - Liverpool City Region, 23 March 2026
The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram has welcomed senior leaders from XtalPi to the region as the company continues to build relationships locally following its 2025 acquisition of Liverpool ChiroChem (LCC) and the subsequent formation of LCC Technologies Ltd.
XtalPi is an international research and development company that integrates artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and computational chemistry to drive the discovery of new therapeutics. The company operates research centres and automated chemistry labs across the United States, Europe and Asia, and works with partners in life sciences and beyond.
During the visit, XtalPi representatives met the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, local councils, and regional innovation partners. Discussions focused on the area’s scientific talent base, available laboratory and development sites, and existing strengths across life‑sciences research and advanced technology.
XtalPi acquired LCC to integrate the latter’s automated chiral‑chemistry capabilities with its own AI‑ and robotics‑powered R&D platform. LCC’s PACE™ platform brings together 3D‑rich chiral fragment design, virtual ligand screening and automation‑ready chemistry to support high‑throughput design–make–test–analyse cycles. Since the acquisition, XtalPi has funded further development of the platform and expanded automated synthesis capacity.
LCC was founded in 2014 as a University of Liverpool spin‑out and employs around 20 specialists at The Heath Business & Technical Park in Runcorn. It continues to operate with a focus on data-driven drug discovery.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“Our region is fast emerging as one of the UK’s most compelling destinations for investment, especially for businesses at the forefront of science, innovation and AI for good. With world-class universities, cutting-edge research capabilities and a highly skilled workforce, we’re building an ecosystem where globally significant companies can innovate, scale and lead.
"We’re matching that ambition with action. Our new £10bn Growth Fund is driving the transformation of our economy - unlocking new opportunities, accelerating high-value job creation, and delivering the specialist lab space and infrastructure that innovative businesses need to thrive.
"XtalPi’s continued investment here is a powerful endorsement of our strengths and our direction of travel. As we work towards increasing foreign direct investment by 25% by the end of the decade, we’re sending a clear message: the Liverpool City Region is open for business, ready to partner, and determined to lead the next generation of science and technology innovation.”
Xuekun Shi, Chief Operating Officer at XtalPi, said:
“The Liverpool City Region embodies the type of innovation hub that XtalPi values globally — with scientific talent, academic excellence, technical ambition, and a genuine collaborative innovation ecosystem. As a company building an engine to power molecular discovery for innovators worldwide, we saw in LCC not only a highly differentiated platform that complements ours, but also a gateway to a region that is actively investing in the future of AI‑enabled discovery.
“The strength of LCC’s science, the quality of its team at The Heath, and the support we’ve seen from local partners give us confidence that this is the right base to grow our UK and European footprint. We look forward to working with the wider ecosystem to co-create the next chapter of biotech innovation and translate breakthroughs into real-world impact.”
Dr Paul Colbon, Founder & CEO of LCC Technologies, added:
“When we founded LCC as a University of Liverpool spin‑out, our ambition was always to prove that globally significant discovery science could thrive right here in the Liverpool City Region. Becoming part of XtalPi has allowed us to take that mission to an entirely new level.
“The integration of our chiral chemistry platform with XtalPi's AI and robotics capabilities has created transformative synergies, elevating our R&D capacity to compete at the forefront of the industry. What matters most to me is that this growth is happening here — at The Heath — where our team continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with strengthened global resources. This partnership shows other founders in the region that you don’t have to leave the North West to build something world‑class.”
