SHANGHAI, Feb. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemistry serves as the foundational pillar of material innovation and transformation. It supports and shapes almost every aspect of modern industries. Recently, XtalPi Inc. (2228.HK), a global leader in AI- and robotics driven research and development (R&D) platform, announced the successful deployment of its automated formulation stability testing workstation at BASF, a world-renowned giant in the chemical industry. This collaboration enables BASF to build an end‑to‑end automated system that integrates sample management, analytical testing, and data management. Marking a significant milestone in XtalPi's advancements in chemical automation, this achievement further demonstrates the company's technological leadership and its ability to deliver highly specialized, scalable solutions to the most demanding industry leaders. With its state-of-the-art robotic laboratory platforms, exceptional customization capabilities, and cross-disciplinary adaptability, XtalPi is committed to driving innovation in pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, new energy, and advanced materials, providing high-precision structured data that serves as the foundation for the digital and intelligent transformation of modern R&D.

As a global leader in the chemical industry, BASF operates across diverse sectors, such as chemicals, materials, industrial solutions, and nutrition & care and etc. The company is recognized for its technological leadership and commitment to driving the industry towards green transformation. At its Innovation Campus Shanghai, BASF annually evaluates the thousands of liquid raw materials and formulations for their long-term stability, which traditionally relied on manual workflows. These conventional methods require to test samples at various temperatures, visually observe for the phase separation, and manually record pH and viscosity data. This labor-intensive process is not only time-consuming but also prone to inconsistencies due to subjective evaluations and fragmented data recording.

Distinguished by its technical expertise, proven solutions, and strong industry reputation, XtalPi emerged as the partner of choice for BASF in a highly competitive selection process. To address BASF's challenges, XtalPi developed a cutting-edge automated workstation for formulation stability testing. This intelligent system seamlessly performs the entire testing process, from sample loading and barcode scanning to image-based analysis, pH measurement, and viscosity testing. By integrating these steps into a cohesive automated workflow, XtalPi has enabled BASF to achieve a new high level of efficiency, accuracy, and standardization, creating a streamlined system for managing samples, conducting tests, and processing data.

The project's success leveraged XtalPi's modular, standardized platform and its agile customization capabilities. This platform has already been successfully deployed across high-value domains such as drug discovery, chemical synthesis, and advanced material research, building a strong foundation of expertise. Its modular architecture ensures rapid deployment and operational stability while supporting customized adaptations to meet unique client and industry requirements. By deeply understanding BASF's specialized processes, XtalPi was able to seamlessly integrate bespoke functionalities, achieving a swift transition from a general-purpose solution to a fully customized workstation. This adaptability positions XtalPi to meet the complex and evolving demands of industrial-scale R&D, while also paving the way for its solutions to address broader markets in robotics-driven automation.

The near-flawless execution of this project for BASF, delivered in full alignment with stringent global standards, highlights XtalPi's advanced robotic automation capabilities and the maturity of its solutions. It further validates the XtalPi's ability to execute on a commercial scale, bolstering its reputation as a trusted leader in automated chemistry and robotic lab solutions. XtalPi's autonomous laboratories not only enable unparalleled standardization and throughput in experimental processes but also serve as a robust platform for generating high-fidelity with structured data. This continuous stream of high-quality data fuels the development and optimization of proprietary AI models, which are essential for advancing R&D capabilities across industries.

As artificial intelligence increasingly transforms the R&D landscape, the ability to automate experimentation and generate large-scale, high-precision data has become a cornerstone of future innovation. XtalPi has firmly established itself as a trailblazer in this space, carving out a distinct competitive edge with its unique integration of AI algorithms and large-scale robotic experimentation. Its intelligent laboratory solutions have consistently earned the trust and endorsement of leading global enterprises, driving technological evolution and operational excellence while delivering transformative results.

Today, XtalPi's automated laboratory solutions are deployed across a diverse range of industries and research institutions, including global pharmaceutical companies, Sinopec, Fudan University, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, and the Hengqin Laboratory. Operating under a "standardized platform + agile customization" business model, XtalPi is rapidly expanding its reach beyond pharmaceutical R&D into trillion-dollar markets such as large-scale chemicals and renewable energy. By scaling its transformative solutions across these industries, XtalPi is unlocking new growth horizons and redefining the future of AI for Science.

Looking ahead, XtalPi is committed to deepening its strategic partnerships with global industry leaders. Through close collaboration with its partners, the company will continue to drive iterative advancements in combining AI with large-scale robotic experiments, leveraging its expertise to provide the next generation of core infrastructure for R&D. Together with its partners, XtalPi is accelerating the transformation of chemical research into a new era driven by AI and robotics.

About XtalPi

XtalPi Holdings Limited (XtalPi, 2228.HK) was founded in 2015 by three physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is an innovative R&D platform powered by quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and robotics. By integrating first-principles calculations, AI algorithms, high-performance cloud computing, and standardized automation systems, XtalPi provides digital and intelligent R&D solutions for companies in the pharmaceutical, materials science, agricultural technology, energy, new chemicals, and cosmetics industries.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers' green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

• Global thought leaders presented cutting-edge research at the 2026 International Symposium on Molecular Glue Drug Discovery.
• XtalPi unveils the AI-driven XGlue™ platform to enable rapid, closed-loop molecular glue drug discovery.
• Cross-sector discussions emphasized the need for bridging gaps between academic research, industrial development, and clinical applications.

SHANGHAI, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, XtalPi, a global leader in AI- and robotics-powered drug discovery, successfully concluded its 2026 International Symposium on Molecular Glue Drug Discovery. The event convened leading scientists, biopharma innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors from around the world to explore how emerging technologies are redefining strategies for historically "undruggable" protein targets.

Molecular glue discovery has long relied on serendipity. In his opening remarks, XtalPi Co-founder and CEO Dr. Jian Ma emphasized the need for a fundamental paradigm shift—moving from chance-based discoveries toward a systematic, technology-driven approach enabled by AI, robotics, and global collaboration.

Anchoring this transition, XtalPi Vice President Dr. Yang Xie introduced the company's proprietary XGlue™ platform. XGlue™ integrates physics-based AI modeling to interrogate complex protein–protein interactions with an agentic AI–controlled autonomous synthesis workflow. This closed-loop design–make–test system enables rapid iteration and significantly expands the addressable target space for molecular glue therapeutics, positioning XtalPi at the forefront of next-generation protein degradation.

The symposium featured a series of scientific presentations highlighting the evolution of the field. Prof. Nathanael S. Gray (Stanford University) and Prof. Bruno Correia (EPFL) discussed leveraging chemically induced proximity and computational de novo design to uncover functional interactions beyond the reach of traditional drug discovery. Prof. Ke Ding (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Dr. Yong Cang (ShanghaiTech University) presented compelling examples of rationally discovered and designed molecular glues addressing critical diseases with significant unmet medical need. Dr. Jianwei Che (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and Dr. Liqiang Fu (GluBio) further highlighted how AI-driven methodologies and enabling technologies are improving target selectivity, enhancing molecular potency, and strengthening the safety profile of glue-based therapeutics. From an investment and commercialization perspective, Mr. Peter Zhang (YAFO Capital) outlined strategic pathways for scaling molecular glue therapies across global markets.

The symposium concluded with a cross-sector roundtable on building a sustainable innovation ecosystem for protein degradation. Moderated by Dr. Yang Xie, the discussion brought together leaders from Sanofi, Betta Pharma, GluBio, and other organizations to address the critical gaps between academic discovery, industrial development, and clinical translation. A shared consensus emerged: sustained progress in protein degradation will require deep integration across science, industry, and capital.

As molecular glue therapeutics continue to gain momentum, the convergence of predictive AI and high-throughput automation is accelerating a shift toward logic-driven drug discovery—transforming once-intractable biological targets into viable therapeutic opportunities.

About XtalPi

XtalPi Holdings Limited (XtalPi, 2228.HK) was founded in 2015 by three physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is an innovative R&D platform powered by quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and robotics. By integrating first-principles calculations, AI algorithms, high-performance cloud computing, and standardized automation systems, XtalPi provides digital and intelligent R&D solutions for companies in the pharmaceutical, materials science, agricultural technology, energy, new chemicals, and cosmetics industries.