Participated · Equity · Mar 2026

Semarion is a University of Cambridge spin-out building the SemaCyte platform that combines materials engineering, microfabrication, and cell biology to enable adherent cells to be used as barcoded, assay-ready, automation-compatible reagents. Its technology lets researchers multiplex cell models, increase throughput, and generate richer datasets within existing laboratory workflows. The company reports adoption by several global pharmaceutical organisations, including top 10 pharma companies, and is running pilot programmes in the US and Europe. Semarion has collaborations with life sciences tools providers to integrate its platform into imaging, analysis, and automated liquid handling workflows. Financially, Semarion has raised $2.89 million in 2022 and an additional $3.8 million in the latest round to fund manufacturing scale-up, commercial growth, and expanded field support.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2023

Spotta develops proprietary artificial intelligence combined with ultra-low-power Internet of Things monitoring devices to provide real-time pest detection and actionable insights. The company holds patented technology and has received multiple awards for its work. Spotta’s platform is already deployed commercially across more than 20 countries. Leadership positions the business as an early leader in pest-management technology, supported by an experienced management team. The recent £3.4 million funding round will fund continued product development and commercial expansion. The company is based in Cambridge.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2020

Porotech develops a porous gallium nitride (PoroGaN) semiconductor material to enable high-performance micro-LED products. Its PoroGaN allows monochrome and full-colour displays to be produced on a single indium gallium nitride (InGaN) material system, addressing prior manufacturing complexity. The company says it has delivered the world’s first InGaN-based red micro-LEDs and displays and has set up production, shipping to some of the biggest global names in display technology. Founded in 2020 as a spin-out from the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride at the University of Cambridge, Porotech focuses on energy-efficient wide-bandgap GaN semiconductors. It aims to commercialise its technology for XR glasses and new user-interface applications and plans to use new funding to accelerate global expansion and mass production. Porotech targets the $140B global display market and positions its products to provide the brightness, efficiency, and resolution required for high-quality image projection against bright backgrounds. Porotech has developed a new class of porous gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor material intended to enable brighter, sharper and more vivid micro‑LED microdisplays. The porous GaN platform allows all three primary colours to be made from the same GaN material and integrated onto a single wafer. The company reports it can deliver porous GaN substrates and micro‑LED epiwafers on sapphire and silicon platforms across 100mm–300mm wafer sizes. Porotech says the material is scalable in wafer size and fits within existing industry processes. Founded in 2018 and spun out of Cambridge in January 2020, the company has been generating revenue for the past 10 months. The technology has attracted interest from major display players, with the article mentioning Samsung and Apple in that context. Porotech develops porous gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor materials and has launched the first commercially available native red InGaN LED epiwafer for micro-LED applications. Its proprietary process extends the emission range of InGaN to produce high-efficiency, ultra-fine-pitch red pixels that outperform conventional AlInGaP and colour-converted red at very small pixels and pitches. The native red InGaN micro-LEDs operate at around 640 nm at 10 A/cm2 and are designed to meet brightness, efficiency and lifetime needs for near-to-eye displays such as augmented reality and head-mounted displays, as well as TVs, phones and wearables. Porotech’s product fits within existing industry standards and processes and the porous GaN architecture can be tailored across a range of applications. The company is a spin-out from the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride at the University of Cambridge and is led by CEO and co-founder Dr Tongtong Zhu. Earlier this year Porotech completed a £1.5M seed financing to support development and commercialisation.

Participated · Equity · Jan 2020

Anvil Semiconductors commercializes silicon carbide (SiC)-on-silicon technology for power devices, aiming to deliver higher-efficiency power switches with lower carbon emissions and reduced running costs. The company has developed a proprietary process for epitaxial 3C‑SiC layers on silicon substrates that it says can cut manufacturing costs for SiC devices. Anvil’s long-term objective is to produce SiC materials and devices at costs close to conventional silicon to enable high-volume markets previously closed to SiC because of cost. The company was spun off in August 2010 from the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering by Warwick Ventures and is led by co-founder Dr Peter Ward and CEO Jill Shaw. Anvil is based in Coventry, UK, and the recent funding is intended to accelerate development and commercialization of its technology. No operating metrics such as revenue or user numbers are provided in the article. Anvil Semiconductors develops small power converters that use innovative Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor switches. The technology, developed by CEO Dr Peter Ward alongside Professor Phil Mawby’s team at the University of Warwick School of Engineering, aims to improve operating efficiency, reduce size and lower cost of power converters. Target applications cited include electric cars, photovoltaic cells and wind turbines. The company was created by Warwick Ventures Ltd, the university’s technology commercialization arm, and is newly launched. Its current financial support includes a £150k equity-style investment and an R&D grant from the Technology Strategy Board. The investment will support progress of the business and further technology development.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2018

Lightpoint Medical develops intraoperative imaging products, notably a robotic laparoscopic probe designed to detect cancer in real time and the LightPath® Imaging System. The LightPath system has already achieved commercial sales throughout Europe. The laparoscopic probe is intended to bring real-time cancer detection to minimally invasive and robotic surgery to improve tissue-sparing and clinical outcomes. The company will use new funding to commercialise the laparoscopic probe and support commercial growth of the LightPath system. It has secured a £5 million financing and previously raised more than £3 million in grant funding from the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument and Innovate UK. Management says the funds will prepare the company for commercial scale-up and a commercial launch of the laparoscopic probe. Lightpoint Medical, based in Rickmansworth, United Kingdom and Cambridge, Massachusetts, develops the EnLight™ fiberscope system that uses molecular imaging to reveal microscopic cancer deposits. The technology is intended to enable surgeons to identify cancerous tissue during procedures. The company will use the awarded funds to support clinical trials of EnLight™ in lymph node cancer and a range of gynecologic cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Lightpoint will collaborate on the research with MSK’s Drs. Jan Grimm and Nadeem Abu-Rustum. The company is led by Founder and CEO Dr. David Tuch and is backed by business angels and other private investors. Lightpoint Medical develops surgical imaging technologies, including its lead products LightPath™ and EnLight™, to help surgeons detect cancer in real time and reduce the need for repeat operations. The company has clinical trials underway in breast, prostate and stomach cancer. Led by CEO Dr David Tuch, Lightpoint is UK-based and completed a Series A raise of £2m ($3.1m). The company intends to use the funds to bring LightPath and EnLight to the US and European markets in 2015. Its technology is positioned for intraoperative cancer detection to improve surgical outcomes and reduce follow-up procedures. Lightpoint Medical is a Rickmansworth, UK–based developer of innovative imaging technologies for cancer surgery. Founded in 2012 by Dr David Tuch, the company is developing a novel molecular imaging technology based on Cerenkov luminescence imaging. The technology is intended to help surgeons detect cancer in real time during surgery, providing more accurate treatment while sparing healthy tissue. In June 2013 the company raised £175K (approximately $270K) in seed funding. The round involved a mix of institutional and angel investors led by Oxford Technology Management.