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 · Aug 2018

PBD Biotech, based in Thurston, UK, has developed Actiphage, a sensitive diagnostic test that detects live mycobacterial bacteria in blood, milk or other tissue in as little as six hours. Actiphage can also distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals, and holds UK Government approval for chronic herd breakdowns. The company was set up just over 12 months prior to the article and is currently conducting multiple field-based trials. PBD intends to use newly raised capital to fund international trials and to launch a suite of products. Backers include New Anglia Capital, regional investment groups and individual angel investors including farmers and vets. The business is positioning its rapid-test technology for wider commercial and international deployment through these trials and product launches.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2016

Ablatus Therapeutics is developing Bimodal Electric Tissue Ablation (BETA), an innovative improvement over existing tissue ablation techniques. The company aims to offer greater clinical options and to improve patient outcomes. On 30 June 2021 it received an £85,000 investment from Turquoise for the Low Carbon Innovation Fund 2. That contribution is part of an overall funding round the article states could reach £1.5 million. Turquoise is described in the article as a UK merchant bank specialising in energy, environment and efficiency. The article does not disclose further financial terms, instruments or operating metrics. Ablatus Therapeutics is commercialising a bimodal electric tissue ablation (BETA) technology that advances conventional radiofrequency ablation (RFA) by adding DC current to the needle alongside AC. BETA attracts moisture and reduces charring and dehydration, which the article says contributed to recurrence rates of almost 50% with previous methods. The company reports BETA improves ablation zone size and has the potential to treat tumours previously considered untreatable. The technique was developed at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, which retains a significant equity stake in the business and whose spinout this is. Ablatus intends to use the recently raised capital to support development of its product for treating cancer patients. In May the company closed a £500,000 investment round to advance its clinical and commercial development efforts.

Led · Equity · Aug 2015

Rainbird Technologies offers Rainbird Enterprise, an artificial intelligence platform designed for business users to unlock internal expertise and automate knowledge-work across their organisation. The platform includes a visual graphing interface for adding concepts, relationships, facts and opinions and watching the model take shape. It also features RBLang, a knowledge representation format that lets authors model knowledge visually or in RBLang, alongside smart data import tools. The company is led by James Duez and Ben Taylor and is based in London and Norwich, UK. Rainbird raised over £1m and intends to use the funds to expand its team and operations. RainBird offers an API platform for developers to build knowledge bases or publish websites based on those knowledge bases. The founders liken it to GitHub for source-code repositories and compare its community aspect to Evernote Trunk. The product uses a community/freemium model: contributors can add knowledge to a shared RainBird community for free, while private, proprietary knowledge bases are available via a paid monthly plan. RainBird has been in closed beta for six months with 30 companies and individuals participating and is now accepting sign-ups for an open beta. The startup has raised a small seed round of £330,000. Founders are computer scientist Ben Taylor and entrepreneur-investor James Duez.