Participated · Series B · Oct 2025

Founded in 2017, WSense is an Italian ocean-technology company commercialising a patented underwater wireless communication system that functions as subsea Wi-Fi. Its Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) platform lets heterogeneous sensors and autonomous vehicles from multiple vendors interconnect, enabling large-scale, real-time monitoring of marine ecosystems, infrastructure integrity, and environmental conditions. The technology is being applied to underwater infrastructure inspection, environmental tracking, and robotic networks that support the energy transition. Led by CEO and Sapienza University professor Chiara Petrioli, the company employs over 80 engineers and researchers. WSense maintains offices in Italy, Norway, and the UK, with additional staff in France and the UAE. Including the latest financing, it has secured more than €25 million in total funding to date, which it is using to accelerate product development and international expansion.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2025

NatureMetrics provides end-to-end nature monitoring and impact reporting, combining environmental DNA (eDNA) technology with AI and other data sources to deliver site-level biodiversity assessments. The company operates labs in the UK and Canada and a partner lab in Indonesia, and serves customers across 110 countries. It employs a team of over 200 people and counts more than 600 organisations as clients, including Unilever, Anglo American, WWF and Fauna & Flora. NatureMetrics’ core product is its Nature Intelligence Platform, which integrates eDNA, bioacoustics, geospatial and other data to generate actionable biodiversity insights. The company plans to invest the recent funding into enhancing the Nature Intelligence Platform, expanding AI and digital capabilities, and broadening its global reach. These efforts are positioned to help clients meet rising regulatory and reporting demands such as CSRD and TNFD. NatureMetrics applies genetics to frontline ecology, providing comprehensive DNA analysis to monitor biodiversity across soil, freshwater and marine environments. The platform makes biodiversity measurable to help businesses transition to a nature-positive economy. Its first long-term data product in development, iNPI (Intelligent Net Positive Impact), combines eDNA with geospatial data to deliver landscape-level maps of biodiversity value and a managed service for site-based clients seeking quantifiable net gains. The company currently operates two eDNA labs in the U.K. and Canada and has delivered data on species ranging from bacteria to blue whales. NatureMetrics recently raised more than €14 million to scale its offerings and respond to rising demand from ESG-conscious investors and regulators. NatureMetrics is a nature-data business that surveys biodiversity at scale by identifying species from tiny traces of environmental DNA in soil and water. The company has processed tens of thousands of samples for clients worldwide, including WWF, supporting surveys from UK ponds to coral reefs in Mozambique and environmental impact assessments for wind farms, hydropower and mines. Over its five-year history the team has refined methods to extract and report minute quantities of DNA. The £6.5m Series A will fund relocation to Surrey Research Park, a three-month laboratory build-out and scaling of biodiversity-data delivery to businesses, NGOs and governments. NatureMetrics plans to move up the value chain to supply nature data to ESG investors, consumer supply chains and governments and intends to grow headcount from 45 to about 70 by year-end. Separately the company secured a £250,000 Innovate UK grant to develop in-field detection methods for invasive species, expanding potential applications in conservation and disease monitoring.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2024

MiAlgae cultivates microalgae on by-products from whisky distillation to produce sustainable omega-3s for aquafeed, pet food and human health markets. Its NaturAlgae product is positioned as a drop-in omega-3 alternative to reduce reliance on wild fish. The company is based at Heriot-Watt University and launched a demonstrator site in 2023 that validated its technology at scale. MiAlgae is now preparing to develop an industrial-scale production facility in Scotland to fully commercialise NaturAlgae. The business recently secured £14 million in fresh funding to support that scale-up and to help create green jobs. Management says the investment will be used to build the infrastructure needed to meet growing global demand while continuing biotechnology innovation. MiAlgae, founded in 2016 and led by Managing Director Douglas Martin, applies biotechnology to produce a sustainable source of omega-3 for animal and human consumption. The company’s platform uses low-value coproducts from the food and drink industry as a feedstock to grow microalgae rich in omega-3 oils. MiAlgae is initially focused on the pet food sector with planned near-term expansion into aquaculture, the largest global consumer of fish oil. It also intends to commercialise other high-value compounds and pigments through expansion of its platform. The recently raised funds will be used to expand the team and complete a commercial demonstrator facility near Stirling to drive commercial traction. Financially, the company secured a £2.3M funding package from new and returning investors to support these commercialisation efforts. MiAlgae is a biotech company that produces microalgae using co-products from the whisky distillation process. The microalgae are high in omega-3 and other nutrients and can be used to sustainably feed fish and create animal food. The company targets the global aquaculture and pet food industries. MiAlgae plans to use the £1m funding to commercialize its product, double the size of its business premises, commission a demonstrator plant in East Lothian and make five new appointments in the next 12 months. The round was backed by Equity Gap, Scottish Investment Bank, Old College Capital and new investor Hillhouse Group. Founded by Douglas Martin in 2016 and based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company intends to scale operations to serve international markets. MiAlgae produces a new kind of nutritious animal feed made from microalgae grown using co-products from Scotland’s whisky distillation process. The microalgae is rich in omega-3 and other vital nutrients and is aimed initially at the aquaculture industry. The company says the product is economical and environmentally friendly and can serve as an alternative raw material for agricultural feed. MiAlgae plans to use the new funding to scale and expand production capacity 30-fold, expand its team, and build a new plant at a whisky distillery. The company is led by founder Douglas Martin and is based in Scotland. The article does not report revenue or user metrics.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2024

Polystyvert develops dissolution-based recycling and low-temperature, low-pressure purification technology to recycle highly contaminated polystyrene and ABS into virgin-quality materials. Its process removes contaminants and the company states it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% while allowing recycled content to be used in the same applications as virgin resin. Polystyvert holds over 40 patents across 17 countries protecting its technology. The company plans to construct its first commercial plant in Montreal, expected to be operational in 2026, and aims for global deployment of its technology. Part of the recent funding will be dedicated to diversifying and expanding its intellectual property portfolio. Polystyvert serves sectors including packaging, construction, electronics, automotive, and toys and positions itself as a key player in styrenic plastics circularity. Polystyvert is a Montréal clean technology startup led by founder and CEO Solenne Brouard Gaillot. The company has developed an innovative, low-carbon-footprint dissolution-based process to recycle all types of polystyrene. Its technology includes a purification step that removes contaminants and a decentralized model designed to reduce transportation costs. Polystyvert intends to use the C$11M in funding to advance its dissolution-based recycling technology toward commercialization. The financing follows a collaboration agreement with the Polymers Business unit of Total S.A. to accelerate commercialization. The company has also received funding and support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). Polystyvert is a Montreal-based company that recycles polystyrene by immersing the material in an essential oil solvent and using a concentrator to separate the oil from the recovered polymer. The recovered polystyrene can be remanufactured into items such as food product trays, commercial packaging, and wall insulation. The company operates drop-off points for the public at Granby and Waterloo municipal recycling centres and serves styrofoam-intensive industries like pharmaceuticals, fisheries, and retail. Polystyvert says its Montreal plant will be the first facility built around this recycling process and describes the technology as simple, exportable, and effective. The company participated in the fall 2015 cohort of the Ecofuel Accelerator. Recent financing will be used to scale up equipment and facilities to expand access to its recycling services across Quebec, Canada, and beyond.

Led · Seed · Apr 2024

AlphaFund is developing a blockchain-powered platform to democratize news distribution, empower content creators, and ensure transparency and integrity in news dissemination. The company describes its approach as a decentralized, modern news aggregation system intended to set a new standard in the media industry. AlphaFund plans to use the seed proceeds to accelerate platform development, expand its team, and establish key partnerships within the media ecosystem. The company highlights blockchain technology as a core component to provide accessibility and integrity for news consumers and creators. CEO Chris Nelson framed the effort as creating a decentralized news ecosystem that serves the public interest and upholds journalistic integrity. AlphaFund provided media contact details and links to additional coverage including an AlphaFund funding release and Crunchbase.