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 · Series A · Nov 2023

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.

Led · Seed · Oct 2021

Outfield Technologies develops a B2B SaaS orchard management and yield-estimation system for high-value fruit crops such as apples, pears and plums, using drone imagery and machine learning. Growers deploy inexpensive off-the-shelf drones to quickly survey orchards and gather high-resolution images that Outfield analyses to produce detailed maps of tree condition and fruit loading. The platform supports precision management to increase yields and provides sales forecasts to prime the supply chain. Outfield’s system is already in use across three continents, with customers in the UK, Europe, South Africa, Chile and New Zealand. The company says its tools can reduce fruit loss (which can be as high as 20%) while lowering chemical use and manual labour. Financially, Outfield has closed its first funding round, securing a £750k seed investment led by Turquoise for the Low Carbon Innovation Fund 2. The funding will be used to expand global reach, develop the customer base, add new platform functionalities, and extract deeper insights from grower data.

Led · Equity · Jun 2021

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.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

8power develops and supplies patented ‘‘Fit & Forget’’ real‑time condition monitoring sensors and analytics that harvest energy from asset vibrations, avoiding batteries or hardwiring. The technology, initially developed at the University of Cambridge, enables sensing, wireless communications and on‑device analytics across thousands of remote assets such as pumps, motors and gearboxes. 8power is gaining traction in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market, with a continued focus on the UK water industry. The company plans to grow in the UK and Europe and expand internationally into energy, chemical, HVAC, Oil & Gas and wider industrial settings. Management says the product helps customers plan maintenance, extend asset life and prevent catastrophic failures. The business recently completed a growth funding round to support that expansion and strengthen links to local and national government.