Participated · Seed · Aug 2026

Noggin HQ builds alternative credit scoring technology that analyses permissioned banking transaction data to identify creditworthy customers missed by traditional systems. The company was founded by Evangeline Atkinson and Laura Mills after they experienced being declined for credit despite steady work and bill payments. Noggin has secured Financial Conduct Authority credit referencing authorisation, enabling it to supply cashflow-based credit data to FCA-authorised lenders. The startup has completed pilot programs and plans to use its recent funding to move into wider market adoption. Financially, Noggin raised a £710k pre-seed round led by Oxford Capital and has now closed an oversubscribed £2.3m seed round led by Blackfinch Ventures with participation from Oxford Capital, Bethnal Green Ventures and angel investors including Alastair Douglas.

Participated · Equity · May 2026

H2CHP develops a free-piston linear generator described as a fuel‑flexible, high‑efficiency electric generator capable of running on hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, and e‑fuels. The technology is positioned to mitigate supply‑chain risks, reduce emissions, and improve performance for energy‑intensive applications. The company targets applications such as microgrids, EV charging, ports, and data centers where resilience, cost, and decarbonization are important. H2CHP was incorporated in July 2022 and is a Durham University spinout registered in Newcastle. Financially, the company has raised more than £2.0 million in December 2024 and an additional £1.5 million in its latest round, totaling approximately £3.5 million to date. The current focus is on developing and demonstrating a prototype generator supported by the recent funding.

Participated · Equity · Apr 2026

Third Space Learning operates a large-scale one-to-one maths tutoring service, reporting support for about 196,000 students across more than 4,200 schools and delivering millions of hours of tutoring. Its spoken AI tutor Skye is built from a decade of tutoring practice and designed around human tutoring techniques such as dialogue, pacing, targeted questioning and ongoing assessment. The company emphasizes an evidence-led approach, using operational data and pedagogical design that underpin its human tutoring service to inform Skye’s development. Third Space Learning has a research partnership funded with $1.9m from the Gates Foundation and run with Stanford University and Cornell University to validate development in US public schools. With the £4.4m growth raise, the company plans to deepen Skye’s capabilities, expand into new subjects and languages, and build a dedicated US function to support international growth. The business positions itself as combining rigorous evaluation with scalable classroom distribution as it seeks broader adoption in the UK and US education markets.

Led · Seed · Apr 2026

Spaceflux builds AI-powered space intelligence products and capabilities for analyzing space data. The company is focused on developing a next generation of AI-driven space intelligence offerings and expanding globally. Its most recent financing brought total seed funding to £9M following a £3.5M extension. Investors include Blackfinch Ventures, Foresight Group, the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (managed by Future Planet Capital) and SPARX Asset Management’s Space Frontiers Fund II. The participation of UKI2S reflects government-backed support linked to partners such as the UK Space Agency and the UK Ministry of Defence. Spaceflux also appointed General Sir Chris Deverell KCB MBE to its board amid this funding update.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2026

Archangel Lightworks develops laser communications systems and the TERRA-M deployable optical ground station. The company says it has designed, built and deployed its laser communications systems and is now moving to commercialise the TERRA-M product. It announced an oversubscribed $13.5 million Series A to accelerate that commercialisation. The funding round was led by Santander Asset Management with participation from NSSIF, Oxford Science Enterprises, Blackfinch Ventures, Oxford Capital and Lycka. Leadership commentary framed the raise as enabling faster work with existing and new partners to meet customer demand across markets. The company did not disclose revenue, user metrics, prior funding rounds, or a valuation in the announcement.