The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Jul 2026

TaiSan operates out of a Cambridge battery lab and develops next-generation sodium batteries it says are more efficient than existing sodium-ion and lithium-ion rivals. The company targets applications including electric bikes, scooters, vehicles and power tools. Founded and led by Sanzhar Taizhan, a former Kazakhstani chess champion, TaiSan has kept several breakthroughs in stealth while progressing its electrochemistry. Financially, the startup has raised €1.7M in pre-seed funding and has just closed a £4.65M seed round that includes a £700,000 Innovate UK grant. TaiSan plans to use the new capital to enhance battery performance and begin pilot testing with manufacturers. The company intends to bring its sodium-battery benefits to a mainstream audience.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2026

BioCaptiva, a University of Edinburgh spin-out, has created the msX magnetic bead platform, which extracts circulating cell-free DNA directly from whole blood without centrifugation or extra reagents. By delivering higher-quality DNA with simpler, faster, and fully automatable workflows, the technology tackles a long-standing bottleneck in liquid biopsy sample preparation, a rapidly expanding segment of non-invasive cancer testing. The company recently launched msX research-use-only kits in Boston to generate supporting data across multiple oncology applications. New Chief Technology Officer Alan Schafer, who previously held senior roles at Inivata, Population Genetics Technologies, 14M Genomics, and GSK, has been hired to drive product and technology development. The fresh capital will fund continued R&D and the expansion of BioCaptiva’s product portfolio and applications. Financially, the company secured £1.58 million in its latest round, led by existing backer Archangels alongside several institutional investors, demonstrating ongoing investor confidence as BioCaptiva enters a key commercialization phase.