Led · Equity · Aug 2026

Advanced Electric Machines develops and manufactures rare earth- and magnet-free electric motors, with technology applicable across passenger cars, motorcycles, ATVs, trucks, buses, construction machinery and marine sectors. Its platform eliminates permanent magnets and rare earth materials and replaces copper windings with aluminium, aiming to reduce supply-chain risk while delivering competitive performance, efficiency and reduced weight. AEM's technology portfolio includes advanced control strategies, aluminium coils, and higher-speed, smaller, lighter designs that have been productionised. The company manufactures at a commercial-scale facility in Washington and is leveraging that capability to develop higher-torque products for demanding powertrain and industrial applications. The recent funding will support expansion of production capacity and accelerate next-generation product development. The platform was developed at Newcastle University and is supported by existing regional investors who have backed AEM through its evolution.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2024

Cellexcel is a Norwich, Norfolk, UK‑based biomaterial technology startup and a University of East Anglia spin‑out. It has developed Cellexcellent™, a patented technology designed to enhance the water resistance of biomaterials and enable their use in external applications. The technology aims to reduce carbon emissions and increase sustainability by allowing biocomposites to be used for exterior panels on cars, trucks, vans and aircraft without impacting strength. The company raised over £250K in funding from College Green Ventures, New Anglia Capital, the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, Turquoise and angel investors from Anglia Capital Group. Led by Executive Chair Tim Pryce, Cellexcel intends to further develop and commercialise Cellexcellent™ in real‑world applications and build its capabilities to improve biomaterial water resistance. It plans to engage industry partners in automotive, packaging and construction to match its technology to pressing market needs for more sustainable, high‑performance materials.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2022

Connected Energy develops technology to use second‑life vehicle batteries in commercial battery storage systems and is led by CEO Matthew Lumsden. The company has sixteen operational systems across Europe, located in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, with its largest installation at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire, England. It raised £15m in funding to expand operations and to accelerate development toward utility‑scale project development. Backers on the round included Volvo Energy, Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., the Hinduja Group, Mercuria and OurCrowd alongside existing investors Engie New Ventures, Macquarie and the Low Carbon Innovation Fund. The company intends to deploy the new capital to grow its project pipeline and scale implementation of its second‑life storage solutions. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Connected Energy specialises in reusing electric vehicle batteries to build grid‑scale energy storage systems. The company’s systems range from 300kW behind‑the‑meter units to a 12MW system currently in development, and it is partnering on projects such as a 300kW/360kWh system with Suffolk County Council using 24 second‑life Renault Kangoo batteries. Connected Energy is also leading the Smart Hubs project to integrate a 14.4MWh energy storage system with technologies for decarbonising heat, energy and transport. The business has secured a new £350,000 investment to ramp up its analytic capabilities. Management says the funding will be used to analyse performance data in more detail to improve system efficiency and increase battery life. The company reports its systems are growing in size, using a range of different batteries and providing more diverse services to customers.

Participated · Seed · May 2022

RideTandem operates a mobility-as-a-service platform focused on transport outside cities and towns, connecting people in transport poverty with employment opportunities. The company offers two mobile apps—one for passengers and one for drivers—and a proprietary dispatch system with driver and fleet management features. It works flexibly with local transport partners to integrate with existing systems while providing fully managed customer service, 24/7 support, and digital ticketing. Employers receive a dashboard with operational data such as attendance to help adjust shifts; customers include DPD, Lidl, Next, Royal Mail, Direct Table Foods and staffing agencies Reed, First Call Contract Services, and Everest People Solutions. RideTandem plans to use the new funding to expand operations and broaden its business reach. The team was founded by Alex Shapland-Howes, Tatseng Chiam, and Huw McLeod and is based in London, UK. The raise increased the company’s total funding to £5M. RideTandem operates outside cities and large towns to close the transport gap by working with taxi, minicab and coach companies to deliver block-bookable commuter services subsidised by employers. The company has a proprietary dispatch system with driver and fleet management features and an app for drivers, and a passenger app designed for block-booking, flexible payments and live vehicle tracking. Employers underwrite route risk and can subsidise or fully cover fares as a talent and retention investment, while independent local transport providers gain a reliable revenue stream and digital ticketing support. RideTandem reports revenue growth of tenfold for two consecutive years and trips on its services currently create an annualised CO2 offset of about 1,000 metric tons versus equivalent car journeys; the average RideTandem vehicle carries more than 20 passengers. The business model is positioned as both impact-driven and commercially sustainable, and the team plans to expand the service to a wider range of workers and geographies while emphasising environmental benefits.

Led · Seed · Apr 2022

Electric Miles offers a smart charging service that charges EVs at the cheapest and greenest times, promising drivers up to 40% savings on electricity costs. The platform provides demand flexibility to the grid by controlling charge timing based on the grid ecosystem and driver-set "car ready time." The company works with charger manufacturers, resellers and installers, and has tools for installation (Installer Miles), support/diagnostics (Admin Miles), a driver app (Electric Miles) and a grid flexibility product (Flexibility Miles). Electric Miles has a patent-pending solution covering the full smart-charging spectrum from installation to grid flexibility. It agreed a three-year deal with Project EV last year to exclusively control around 100,000 chargers on its smart charging platform. The company plans to scale its user base to 100,000 in the next 24 months, double its team, and expand to the US and Europe in 2023.