The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Mar 2026

LifeCellsNI is a Derry~Londonderry-based life-science startup developing a fully regulated cryogenic storage and laboratory processing hub for stem cells and therapeutic tissues under Human Tissue Authority (Human Applications) governance. The facility will offer locally compliant long-term storage for cord blood, clinical samples, and research materials, eliminating the need to ship biological material to mainland UK. Cleanroom installation is in progress, with commissioning, validation, and licensing milestones planned ahead of an operational launch in April 2026 and commencement of storage activities in August 2026. Once operational, the company aims to serve families, Health Trusts, universities, and private life-science firms that lack their own infrastructure. Future plans include expanding into ethically governed donor cell collection and supply to support advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) development across the island of Ireland. LifeCellsNI was incubated in The AMP Growth Incubator and has received support from Invest Northern Ireland, Founder Labs, HIRANI, and Derry City & Strabane District Council. To date, the company has raised £590,000 in pre-seed funding to build out its infrastructure; no revenue or user metrics have yet been disclosed.

Led · Seed · Jan 2026

Biomarx is building the next generation of genomic laboratory medicine platforms that lower the cost, complexity and skill barriers traditionally associated with next-generation sequencing. Its automated system is designed for rapid, affordable detection of circulating tumour DNA fragments, aiming to reduce health inequalities and speed the clinical adoption of personalised therapies. The company’s first product will be a liquid biopsy test for non-small cell lung cancer, supporting earlier detection and targeted treatment decisions. Fresh capital will allow Biomarx to progress from proof of concept to a minimum viable product, secure ISO 13485 accreditation and run a preliminary lab-based clinical study. Development work will be carried out in Glasgow in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, leveraging the university’s deep-tech commercialisation ecosystem. Financially, the company has just closed a £700,000 pre-seed round, its first disclosed external funding. These resources position Biomarx to advance towards clinical validation and eventual market entry.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2025

LumenStream provides zero-upfront smart lighting via a 'Pay as you Save' Lighting-as-a-Service model that enables businesses to adopt energy-efficient lighting with no capital investment. The company focuses on helping high-energy users cut CO2 emissions and reduce operating costs while delivering immediate positive cash flow to customers. The recent £1.2m investment will allow LumenStream to scale deployment of its smart lighting solutions across more sites. LumenStream plans to expand its team, hiring for accounting, sales, and technical support roles to support growth. The company has secured customers including Siemens, Wickes, Oxfam, and Ryobi. CEO Alistair Brown said the funding will accelerate their mission and reinforce Belfast's position at the forefront of green innovation.

Led · Equity · Sep 2024

Reform RX is a connected fitness Pilates equipment company that digitally connects Pilates reformers, enabling streamed on-demand classes, wearable integration, and meaningful workout metrics. Its technology is patented and designed for versatility across boutique studios, gyms, hotels, corporate venues, and direct-to-consumer settings. The company generated $1M in revenue within two weeks of launch and sold out its initial product line in the first quarter of 2023. Reform RX’s reformer is available in 13 countries and can ship worldwide, and the company also operates a boutique reformer studio in Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, CA. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate expansion and further develop its patented technology to enhance Pilates personalization and the mind-body connection. The business is led by Yvette McGaffin and Neal McGaffin. Reform RX builds an ergonomically designed connected-reformer that integrates a 21.5” touchscreen for live and on-demand classes from elite Pilates instructors. Its software and hardware track performance metrics including total calorie consumption, heart rate, speed of travel, and power output to deliver bespoke workouts. Founders Yvette and Neal McGaffin have had the product in development since 2018, spending three years on the commercial-grade hardware and 18 months refining the software. The company used longevity rigs to run millions of cycles on components to position the RX as a premium commercial-grade product suitable for boutique studios, commercial gyms, and at-home users. Reform RX plans to open pre-orders across the US, Canada and Australia at reformrx.com with first deliveries expected in Spring 2022. The company has received investment and support that the founders say enabled the product’s launch readiness.

Led · Equity · Jul 2024

INQDATA offers a cloud-based, market data-as-a-service platform that handles infrastructure management, storage, preparation and data access for market data across capital markets. The company describes its solution as high-performance and cost-effective, aimed at accelerating time-to-value and reducing total cost of ownership for financial institutions and hedge funds. CEO Theodore Voegt says the product can be transformative for financial institutions globally. INQDATA emphasises its Northern Ireland roots, citing Belfast and Newry as centres of excellence while placing sales teams in London where most clients are located. Financially, the company completed a funding round that generated £2.5m in total.