Participated · Equity · Jul 2024

Argonaute RNA is developing oligonucleotide therapeutics that use short strands of RNA and DNA to target genes responsible for severe familial cholesterolaemia (FH). The lead program aims to reduce or eliminate the need for regular hospital procedures that mechanically filter fat from the blood. The company has stated long-term plans to apply the same drug platform to more common cardiovascular conditions. Argonaute moved its headquarters to Cardiff in part to be closer to CatSci, its manufacturing partner. CatSci built an oligonucleotide synthesis facility at its Cardiff site in 2023 and previously received Development Bank of Wales support. The business is positioning its platform to progress lead assets into clinical trials with specialist investor support.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2024

Kelpi has developed a seaweed-derived coating that can be applied to paper and card to replace plastic packaging. The material is compostable, can be recycled at home or industrially, and the company says it will fully biodegrade in months if washed out to sea. Kelpi plans to use the new funding to recruit scientists, engineers and commercial staff and to run large-scale pilots of the lab-developed material. The company intends to scale up production, complete regulatory approvals and bring the product to market by mid-2025. Kelpi has established partnerships with brands including L’Oréal, Diageo, Waitrose and Blue Skies. Founded in Bath and now based in Bristol, the business raised capital to fund commercialization and scaling efforts. Kelpi develops proprietary coatings for paper and card using seaweed-derived materials to produce compostable, marine-safe, low-carbon bioplastic packaging. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Neil Morris and Chief Scientific Officer Dr Stefanie Federle. Kelpi is already working with global leaders in food & drink and cosmetics. It raised £3M in Seed funding, which includes £665K of grant funding from Innovate UK’s Combined Investor Partnership. The company intends to use the funds to conduct manufacturing pilots for its coatings. Kelpi is based in Bath, UK.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2024

Anaphite is an advanced materials company commercialising a Dry Coating Precursor (DCP) platform for lithium-ion battery electrodes. Its process applies cathode and anode materials without solvents or the energy-intensive drying stages used in conventional manufacturing, lowering both production costs and carbon emissions. The company estimates that dry-coating battery anodes can reduce factory floor space by about 15 % and is targeting electrode mixing and coating steps that currently account for 30–40 % of a cell plant’s energy use and cost. By enabling dry-coated lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) electrodes—which are presently more than twice as energy-intensive to manufacture per kWh than nickel-rich NMC cathodes—Anaphite aims to deliver substantial efficiency gains to battery cell makers and EV OEMs. The firm has just secured £1.4 million in fresh capital to advance and scale its technology. Management believes achieving industrial-scale dry-coated LFP electrodes will create significant value across the battery supply chain.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2023

Delta.g is a Birmingham-based quantum technology spin-out from the University of Birmingham that builds quantum sensors engineered for real-world deployment. Its proprietary devices provide significant gains in precision, portability and reliability, enabling quantum-grade geospatial data collection. Early trials have demonstrated value across infrastructure monitoring, transportation, and other dual-use government and commercial scenarios. The hardware is paired with a data and analytics layer that integrates sensor outputs directly into customers’ decision-making workflows. With newly raised capital the company plans to expand its technical team, scale manufacturing capacity and deliver pilot field systems through key partners. It also intends to advance its analytics platform to support broader adoption. To date, Delta.g has secured £4.6 million in seed funding; the article did not disclose additional operating metrics such as revenue or user numbers.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2021

QLM Technology is a photonics and analytics company based at the EPIC Centre in Torbay that is transforming methane-emissions monitoring through its proprietary quantum gas lidar platform. The company’s lidar sensors give industrial operators the ability to detect, localize, and quantify methane leaks quickly and with high precision, addressing a pressing environmental and regulatory need. With protected intellectual property and a leadership team possessing deep industry expertise, QLM is positioned to serve energy, industrial, and environmental markets worldwide. The firm plans to channel new capital into continued product development across both software and hardware, expand industrial applications, and build out channel partnerships to broaden market reach. Management emphasizes that its technology contributes directly to methane-reduction goals central to global net-zero efforts. Recent funding activity indicates growing investor confidence in QLM’s commercial potential, although specific revenue or user metrics were not disclosed. The company views the current raise as a springboard for scaling deployments and strengthening its foothold in the fast-growing clean-tech sector.