Participated · Seed · Mar 2024

CryoLogyx commercializes assay-ready, cryopreserved adherent cell lines plated in various formats for direct use in in vitro research. Its proprietary Cryoshield™ macromolecule cryoprotectant reduces post-thaw damage and enables viable cells to be used from the freezer in less than 24 hours. The company’s ready-to-use cells aim to improve reproducibility, support screening technologies, and enable automation in drug discovery, with potential future diagnostic and cell therapy applications. CryoLogyx was spun out from the University of Warwick in 2020 by CEO Dr Tom Congdon and CSO Prof Matt Gibson, based on over a decade of research. The firm says its products have accelerated projects (for example, converting a typical four-week assay into four days at the Warwick Antimicrobial Screening Service). Current plans include scaling production of assay-ready cells, expanding the team, broadening the product offering, and extending reach across the UK and Europe while pursuing R&D and commercialization of new products.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2023

MitoRx Therapeutics operates as a platform biotech focused on translating mitochondrial biology into novel therapeutics for obesity and broader metabolic disorders. Its lead candidates are innovative small-molecule metabolic modulators designed to induce weight loss without compromising muscle integrity, a key differentiator in the crowded obesity-drug landscape. The company is currently at the preclinical stage and is building a pipeline around these modulators. With its recent pre-seed capital raise of roughly $7.3 million, MitoRx will accelerate preclinical validation studies, prepare for future regulatory submissions, and expand both its scientific team and laboratory infrastructure. Management plans to deploy the funds toward advancing its lead programs through early development milestones. Although still pre-revenue, the influx of capital signifies investor confidence in the company’s scientific approach and commercial potential. MitoRx’s near-term objectives include scaling its research footprint and progressing toward clinical readiness. Over the longer term, it aims to deliver differentiated treatments that improve metabolic health and preserve muscle mass in millions of patients.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2023

Mach42 leverages advanced machine learning to create high-accuracy surrogate models that accelerate analog and mixed-signal verification and integrate with industry-standard simulators. The company focuses initially on power management devices, where it says its models can reduce development time, lower computational costs, and improve design quality. Its technology can export models automatically in Verilog-A, SystemVerilog, and C/C++ formats for seamless integration into electronic design automation workflows. Mach42 plans to scale engineering and business development teams following its recent £7M pre-Series A raise to drive commercial adoption. The company highlights potential market opportunity across a wide analog chip market and cites existing investor support from BGF, Foresight Group and Parkwalk.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2021

GripAble is a London, UK-based healthtech startup that delivers rehabilitation programs to people with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Its digital platform combines bespoke hand-held sensors, mobile hardware and software, in-built gamification and data services to enable home-based rehabilitation and allow patients to access standard care from professional therapists. The company supplies therapy services and a data platform to nearly 1,000 customers and has been used by more than 8,000 individuals. To date users have completed over 109,000 activity sessions, close to 7,000 hours of training, and more than 27 million movement repetitions. Partners include Imperial College London, Innovate UK, the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Oxford Technology and Triple Point Social Impact Fund. GripAble plans to use the funding to expand its data platform and therapy services, with a particular focus on growing markets in Europe and the US. GripAble develops simple digital therapy tools that combine a highly sensitive, portable hand-grip with a mobile app and gamified exercises to assess and train hand, wrist and arm function. Its platform collects objective rehabilitation data, including persistence and adherence metrics, to support patients and therapists and enable remote care. The company has deployed over 1,000 units in the past six months, logged more than 35,000 activity sessions and recorded over 7.5 million movement repetitions on its platform. GripAble intends to scale its training and assessment platform across the UK and Europe and is preparing for a US market launch, having already deployed several US pilot sites. The new funding is intended to support delivery of a digitally led, remote patient engagement platform and broader home-based therapy capabilities. Founded in 2016, the company aims to expand beyond upper-limb therapy over time while reducing pressure on healthcare systems through extended, data-driven patient care.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2020

Oxwash provides low‑temperature commercial and on‑demand laundry using a gentle wet‑cleaning technique with biodegradable detergents, ozone disinfection and reduced water consumption, operated from centralized hub “lagoons.” The company serves both businesses and individuals, with B2B customers including hotels, hospitals, universities, hospitality and circular fashion outlets as well as individual users. Its service is available in five UK cities and it currently operates three washing facilities; Oxwash says it has 20,000+ customers, quadrupled revenue in the past 12 months and has achieved operational profitability across its three facilities. Founded in 2017, the company recently gained B Corporation status and emphasizes employee conditions (riders and couriers are fully employed and staff are paid above the national living wage). Future plans funded by the round include building a large centralized processing facility to enable nationwide U.K. coverage, launching in the U.S. and further European expansion, and investing in next‑gen automation such as acoustic drying, robotics, computer vision and AI. Oxwash employs over 80 people and expects a 50% headcount increase in the next year, and has a stated goal of eliminating scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions from operations within 12 months. Oxwash provides a sustainable on-demand laundry service that aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across collection, washing and delivery. The company uses water-saving ozone technology to sterilize fabrics at lower temperatures, thermal and biodegradable chemical processes for higher-than-medical-grade disinfection, dissolvable laundry bags and electric cargo bikes for hyper-local pickups and deliveries. Founded in 2018 by ex-NASA scientist Dr Kyle Grant and Oxford engineer Tom de Wilson, Oxwash now serves more than 8,000 individual customers and enterprise clients including the Marriott Hotel Group, Hurr Collective and the NHS. Oxwash raised an additional £2.08M in seed funding, bringing total funding to £5.2M to date. The company intends to use the funds to expand the team, invest in proprietary technology and accelerate plans for national expansion. It also participated in Collective Impact, a five-week investment-readiness program delivered by Crowdcube and Virgin StartUp for purpose-led businesses. Oxwash, founded in 2017 by former NASA scientist Kyle Grant and based in London, is a sustainable on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning startup. It uses proprietary ozone-generation technology alongside thermal and chemical processes to deliver pharmaceutical-grade disinfection and aims for zero net carbon emissions across collection, washing, and delivery. Customers include consumers, hotels, gyms, and Airbnb hosts, and the company has expanded into healthcare clients such as the NHS, GP practices, care homes, vulnerable people at home, and hotels housing key workers. Oxwash provides coronavirus (COVID-19) disinfection laundry methods and is supplying services to the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trial. The company is using the newly raised funds to launch into London, further invest in its proprietary technology platform, and expand into North America and Europe over the next 12–18 months. Its funding position is supported by a £1.75M seed round from strategic and angel investors, and an RB Ventures executive will join the board. Oxwash applies 'space-age' sterilisation technology—combining ozone disinfection with thermal and chemical processes—to deliver medical-grade laundry services that remove bacterial, fungal and viral agents. The company says its process achieves zero carbon emissions and saves water compared with traditional laundry options. A product of Oxford University and part of Founders Factory’s accelerator, Oxwash was founded by a former NASA engineer and is led by CEO Kyle Grant. It already serves business customers including Marriott and Airbnb and partners with NHS bodies, senior care homes, hotels housing medical workers, the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trial and general practice surgeries. During the COVID-19 pandemic Oxwash added no-contact pickups, electric-cargo bikes fitted with portable ozone generators, and dissolvable laundry bags to reduce transmission. The company raised £1.4 million and says the funding will be used to grow the team, expand across southeast England, and support software development including an app and a planned roll-out to London later this year.