Mercia Ventures

Grid Edge Limited specializes in developing artificial intelligence and machine-learning software aimed at optimizing energy management for commercial and public buildings. Founded in 2016 and based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, the company offers cloud-based solutions that utilize predictive machine learning and data analytics to manage energy loads effectively. By integrating with existing building energy management systems, Grid Edge's technology helps reduce energy costs and carbon emissions while transforming on-site energy resources into revenue-generating assets. The company's innovative approach enables building owners to become proactive participants in the energy system, enhancing overall energy efficiency and sustainability.

ImmuONE is a biotech company focused on providing in vitro cell culture services for safety assessment, particularly in the realm of inhalation toxicology. The company specializes in human alveolar macrophage responses and epithelial cell culture platforms, offering testing services that aim to enhance understanding of respiratory health. Additionally, ImmuONE develops respiratory tissue models that closely mimic lung physiology, ensuring that their results are relevant, reliable, and reproducible. Through these advanced techniques, ImmuONE supports healthcare providers in the development of innovative products and testing services for inhalation safety assessment.

Notify Technology Ltd. operates an online platform focused on employee risk reporting and incident management. Founded in 2017 and based in Wallsend, United Kingdom, the company provides services that allow users to quickly record incidents, accidents, and near misses through a mobile app and web portal. Its customizable interface supports the management of both recurring and one-off events. The software enables organizations to track outcomes, actions, and trends through real-time dashboard reporting, ultimately enhancing workplace safety and health.

75Media is an outdoor advertising company that operates a growing network of big format, D48, and traditional billboards in UK towns and cities.

Crown Plus is a national company specializing in highway drainage management. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, from initial drainage surveys to recycling and maintenance work. The company's expertise lies in data processing, civil engineering projects, and filter drain recycling, all tailored to the highway industry. Crown Plus aims to extend asset lifespan, minimize environmental impact, and optimize resource management through its innovative and cost-effective solutions.

Napo Pet Insurance is a digital-first insurtech company launched in December 2021, focused on revolutionizing pet insurance by offering comprehensive coverage that goes beyond basic policies. The company provides essential services such as dental care, behavioral support, and preventative care as standard, aiming to give pet owners peace of mind. Napo emphasizes a superior customer experience by leveraging advanced AI-driven technology alongside personalized human support, ensuring efficient claims processing and assistance throughout the pet ownership journey. Recognized as one of the UK's fastest-growing pet insurers, Napo has received multiple awards, including Insurer of the Year and accolades for innovation. Beyond insurance, the company aspires to create a holistic pet care ecosystem, providing tools, education, and services to enhance the health and happiness of pets at every life stage.

OneUp Sales is a sales management and motivation platform tailored for inside sales teams. It leverages sales activity data from various sources to enhance engagement and productivity within sales environments. The platform facilitates gamified competitions and features real-time leaderboards displayed on TVs, allowing for immediate recognition of achievements. Additionally, it streamlines reporting for managers, helping them to identify key behaviors and opportunities for improvement. By publicizing important information and fostering a competitive atmosphere, OneUp Sales aims to drive performance and contribute to the development of effective sales teams.

HowNow Ltd is a London-based EdTech startup that offers an interactive e-learning platform allowing real-time communication between experts and learners through live video lessons. Established in 2016, the platform facilitates face-to-face learning experiences across various fields, including arts and crafts, business, music, health and beauty, languages, and food and drink. With over 400 experts teaching in 33 countries, HowNow enables students to engage directly with instructors as if they were in the same room. Additionally, the platform employs artificial intelligence to provide tailored learning recommendations, supporting companies in their employee education efforts and enhancing overall productivity and skill development.

Applied Monitoring is a company focused on developing innovative healthcare and fitness monitoring solutions through advanced dermal sensors. These sensors are designed to transform blood testing by providing real-time monitoring capabilities. The company's technology addresses critical needs in various sectors, including healthcare, sports, and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as applications in alcohol and drug detection. By providing healthcare professionals with effective tools for monitoring substance misuse, Applied Monitoring aims to enhance health outcomes and support better decision-making in clinical and fitness environments.

Shopblocks is a hosted ecommerce platform based in Manchester, UK, that provides businesses with the tools necessary to design, build, and launch their online shops. Established in 2011, the company emerged from a team of digital marketing professionals who sought to improve the online retail experience. Shopblocks addresses common challenges faced by online businesses, particularly the difficulties of maintaining and updating websites. Its platform enables users to manage products, customers, orders, and shop designs from a single interface, offering features such as product data management, real-time supplier feeds, and integrated storefronts. This approach allows businesses to create professional online shops tailored to their needs without being constrained by generic templates, facilitating adaptability in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

TalentMapper is a technology company specializing in talent management solutions. It operates an AI-driven platform designed to identify and develop talent within organizations, fostering internal mobility, enhancing retention, and promoting inclusivity. The platform analyzes business objectives and strategy to pinpoint skill gaps and opportunities, recognizes skilled employees, maps out skill supply and demand, and facilitates career mentoring and planning. This enables businesses to anticipate and prepare for future operational challenges and opportunities, maximizing their talent potential.

TRIBE is a prominent running community in the UK that specializes in sports nutrition products designed to support individuals in their training endeavors. The company offers tailored nutrition plans that align with specific race training goals, allowing customers to train more effectively. TRIBE's products are fully natural and gluten-free, focusing on providing energy and enhancing recovery and performance during training sessions. By curating these resources, TRIBE aims to empower athletes and fitness enthusiasts to achieve their personal training objectives.

Newcells Biotech Limited is a biotechnology company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, specializing in the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their differentiation into various cell and tissue types. Founded in 2014, the company provides a selection of off-the-shelf iPSC-derived cell lines for research and development purposes. Their offerings include bespoke iPSCs derived from patient tissues, neural progenitor cells, cardiomyocytes for cardiac disease modeling, haematopoietic progenitor cells, and other somatic cell types tailored to user specifications. Additionally, Newcells Biotech supports drug discovery and pre-clinical development by developing in vitro cell-based assays that mimic the physiology of organs such as the kidney, retina, liver, and lung. This facilitates improved predictions of safety, pharmacology, and efficacy in drug testing, allowing researchers to evaluate new drug candidates effectively.

Little Journey is a company established in 2018 that provides support for children and their families undergoing medical treatments or participating in clinical trials. The organization has developed a virtual reality smartphone application aimed at enhancing healthcare outcomes by improving patient engagement and experience. This application offers families essential information about hospital visits, including virtual reality imagery, fasting guidelines, contact details, and articles related to specific procedures. By delivering this information remotely, Little Journey helps families prepare for medical experiences, fosters individual coping strategies, reduces anxiety associated with procedures, and ultimately aims to enhance overall healthcare experiences.

Radical Forge is a video game development studio focused on creating innovative and engaging gaming experiences. The company specializes in developing full-length two-dimensional survival-themed games, catering to a diverse audience of gaming enthusiasts. In addition to game development, Radical Forge also aims to create industry tools that support the gaming sector. By emphasizing creativity and adaptability, Radical Forge seeks to deliver games that are both sharp and daring, appealing to players looking for unique and immersive gameplay experiences.

Pure Pet Food specializes in producing healthy, human-grade meals for pets, focusing on dehydrated and freeze-dried options. By gently removing moisture through the application of warm air, the company preserves the natural ingredients in its low-processed recipes. This approach caters to pets with sensitivities and specific health needs, providing pet owners with a diverse selection of fresh and unprocessed food choices at an affordable price.

Mindtech operates a Data Ops Platform that significantly streamlines the process of collecting and curating training data for artificial intelligence applications in computer vision. The platform utilizes advanced automation and Mindtech's proprietary Configurable DNA technology to serve a variety of industries, including smart cities, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and robotics. By analyzing existing training data, the platform can automatically generate new synthetic training data, complete with pixel-accurate annotations tailored to the customer's deployment environment. This approach not only enhances the quality and fidelity of the training images but also ensures that clients can efficiently develop high-performance, production-ready AI models. Mindtech's solution is designed to be fast, flexible, and repeatable, addressing the growing demand for effective AI systems that can understand and predict human interactions across diverse applications.

Leap Automation provides food producers with end-of-line automation and machine vision systems. It reduces the dependency on manual labour for repetitive tasks.

Invizius Ltd., established in 2018 and headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, is a medical technology company specializing in innovative extracorporeal treatments. The company's core product, H-Guard, is an advanced hemocompatible coating designed to prevent foreign body reactions in the blood during procedures like dialysis, cardiopulmonary bypass, and ECMO. By reducing immune system activation, H-Guard aims to minimize cardiovascular complications and improve patient outcomes, particularly for those undergoing long-term dialysis.

Alesi Surgical Ltd. specializes in the development and commercialization of laparoscopic surgical smoke handling systems aimed at enhancing the safety and outcomes of surgical procedures. Founded in 2009 and based in Cardiff, United Kingdom, the company emerged as a spin-out from the Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy, benefiting from direct access to experienced surgeons and surgical trainers. Alesi Surgical's innovative products are designed to be portable and applicable in both laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries. Utilizing electrostatic precipitation technology, these tools effectively eliminate surgical smoke, ensuring a clear visual field during procedures. Alesi Surgical distributes its products to hospitals across Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia.

Warehow is a comprehensive logistics platform tailored for fashion e-commerce fulfillment. It aims to simplify the logistics process for small businesses in the fashion and home sectors by providing an integrated solution that connects with various marketplace channels and retailers. The platform streamlines stock management and order processing, allowing clients to concentrate on business growth without the need for extensive IT development or operational modifications. By offering transparent pricing and low complexity, Warehow supports businesses in scaling efficiently while managing their e-commerce logistics seamlessly.

Promethean Particles Ltd. specializes in designing, developing, and manufacturing inorganic nanoparticle dispersions tailored to customer specifications. Established in 2007 and based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, the company employs continuous hydrothermal synthesis to produce high-quality nanoparticles for various industrial applications. Promethean serves multiple sectors, including electronics, healthcare, green energy, and nanocomposites, providing solutions such as printed electronics, catalysts, and metal organic frameworks. Additionally, the company offers feasibility studies to create customized solutions that meet specific client needs. Promethean's advanced multi-ton scale manufacturing plant allows for the production of over 1,000 tons of nanoparticles annually, underscoring its capability to deliver flexible and innovative nanotechnology solutions.

CorrosionRADAR Ltd, established in 2017 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, specializes in developing and implementing advanced corrosion monitoring systems. The company's core technology involves patent-pending distributed sensing, combined with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and sophisticated analytics, enabling predictive corrosion management. CorrosionRADAR serves a broad range of industries, including oil and gas, power and utilities, industrial manufacturing, and civil infrastructure, offering solutions for refineries, offshore and onshore rigs, power plants, pipelines, and structures. By detecting and predicting hidden corrosion, the company helps clients maintain safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in their operations.

ULEMCo Limited is a company based in Liverpool, United Kingdom, that focuses on retrofitting hydrogen hybrid combustion technology for commercial vehicles. Established in 2014, ULEMCo specializes in converting diesel transit vans and other heavy-duty vehicles to operate on a hydrogen-diesel mix, thereby promoting a transition to cleaner fuel alternatives. The company also conducts research and development aimed at creating zero-emission hydrogen engines and fuel cell vehicles, which include specialized applications such as ambulances, fire engines, and refuse trucks. By advancing hydrogen technology, ULEMCo aims to support the automobile industry in reducing air pollution and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Log my Care is a provider of a free electronic care planning and management system aimed at enhancing coordination and communication within care facilities. The platform replaces traditional paper recording with an electronic system, featuring a shared to-do log that informs care employees of their assigned tasks. Additionally, it offers printable reports on activity performance, allowing managers to maintain oversight of their operations efficiently. This software facilitates better management of care services, ensuring that providers can operate more effectively while delivering quality care to clients.

Wobble Genomics is a biotechnology firm focused on enhancing the efficiency of RNA and DNA sequencing to facilitate the discovery and detection of nucleic acid biomarkers. The company employs a blend of biochemistry and bioinformatics to achieve unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy in identifying novel biomarkers. By optimizing sampling efficiency during sequencing, Wobble Genomics aims to reduce costs for medical researchers, thereby advancing the field of genomic analysis and improving diagnostic capabilities.

Sitehop is a technology company focused on developing advanced cybersecurity and networking solutions. It specializes in creating custom FPGA solutions that enhance and accelerate cloud and telecommunications networks. Additionally, Sitehop offers an enterprise network management platform that provides encryption for telecom and data networks. This platform is designed to deliver ultra-low latency and low-power encryption, facilitating the establishment of secure private networks without the need for physical connections. By doing so, Sitehop enables telecom service providers to secure their networks while maintaining high-quality performance, thereby also protecting Internet of Things systems.

Graide is an education technology platform focused on enhancing the teaching and learning experience by streamlining the feedback process. The platform utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze student responses, which not only alleviates the workload for educators but also significantly increases the volume and quality of feedback provided to students. By enabling teachers to grade multiple responses simultaneously, Graide ensures accurate and consistent assessments, while also offering valuable insights to improve student learning outcomes. The company's mission is to liberate educators and make quality education more accessible to all.

Tagomics is a company focused on enhancing disease diagnosis through advanced multitopic profiling and epigenetic-based technologies. It specializes in the development of chemicals that facilitate the discovery of epigenetic biomarkers, providing a second layer of information to DNA beyond the traditional genetic code. This innovative approach enables the identification of biological markers that are sensitive to lifestyle, environmental factors, and disease states. By concentrating on early detection, particularly for colorectal and other common cancers, Tagomics aims to improve patient outcomes through more effective and cost-efficient diagnostic methods.

MIP Discovery is a technology leader specializing in the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and nanoMIPs, which are plastic antibodies designed to address the limitations of traditional MIP manufacturing methods. The company's innovations feature polymers and antibodies that incorporate a single binding site for specific targets, allowing them to be effectively fused to solid substrates, such as sensor surfaces. This capability provides hospitals with highly effective reagents suitable for a variety of applications, including point-of-care diagnostics and field-based testing, thereby enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of medical testing.

Newcells Biotech Limited is a biotechnology company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, specializing in the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their differentiation into various cell and tissue types. Founded in 2014, the company provides a selection of off-the-shelf iPSC-derived cell lines for research and development purposes. Their offerings include bespoke iPSCs derived from patient tissues, neural progenitor cells, cardiomyocytes for cardiac disease modeling, haematopoietic progenitor cells, and other somatic cell types tailored to user specifications. Additionally, Newcells Biotech supports drug discovery and pre-clinical development by developing in vitro cell-based assays that mimic the physiology of organs such as the kidney, retina, liver, and lung. This facilitates improved predictions of safety, pharmacology, and efficacy in drug testing, allowing researchers to evaluate new drug candidates effectively.

MGISS specializes in mobile geospatial services, providing software development and consulting tailored to the measurement and analysis of spatial data in the field. The company offers a comprehensive range of geospatial services that assist businesses, particularly in the utilities and infrastructure sectors, in capturing, creating, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. By enabling organizations to operate more efficiently, MGISS plays a vital role in enhancing data-driven decision-making and operational effectiveness.

Risk Ledger Ltd. is a company based in Harrow, United Kingdom, that specializes in developing a scalable security assurance platform aimed at enhancing the security of the global supply chain ecosystem. Founded in 2017, the platform allows clients to input their supplier security policies and compare them against the security maturity of their vendors. This process is facilitated through a unique model that enables vendors of all sizes to easily respond to risk assurance assessments. By leveraging a dynamic controls framework and live assessment data within supplier-owned profiles, Risk Ledger helps organizations identify security requirements, remediate vulnerabilities, and strengthen their overall security defenses across the supply chain.

Cyacomb is a software company that specializes in forensic analysis tools aimed at assisting law enforcement agencies in identifying and blocking harmful digital content. Its innovative software employs contraband filter technology, which allows for the rapid detection of illegal material in existing national databases. This technology significantly enhances the speed of digital forensics, enabling police forces to uncover crucial evidence on computers in a matter of minutes rather than days. By providing these advanced solutions, Cyacomb supports law enforcement, social media platforms, and cloud service providers in their efforts to combat criminal activities related to pedophilia and terrorism.

Shopblocks is a hosted ecommerce platform based in Manchester, UK, that provides businesses with the tools necessary to design, build, and launch their online shops. Established in 2011, the company emerged from a team of digital marketing professionals who sought to improve the online retail experience. Shopblocks addresses common challenges faced by online businesses, particularly the difficulties of maintaining and updating websites. Its platform enables users to manage products, customers, orders, and shop designs from a single interface, offering features such as product data management, real-time supplier feeds, and integrated storefronts. This approach allows businesses to create professional online shops tailored to their needs without being constrained by generic templates, facilitating adaptability in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Laverock Therapeutics is focused on advancing gene silencing technology to create innovative programmable cell therapies. Their platform enables the engineering of next-generation allogeneic cell therapies that can adapt to both internal and external environmental signals. This capability allows for the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived products that offer enhanced efficacy, safety, and accessibility, addressing many of the challenges faced by traditional therapeutic methods. Through its pioneering approach, Laverock Therapeutics aims to facilitate significant advancements in the fields of medicine and biotechnology.

Kuano Ltd specializes in developing quantum and AI solutions aimed at molecular design, particularly in the fields of drug discovery and development. Founded in 2020 and based in London, the company integrates quantum simulation with machine learning to create effective enzyme inhibitors. Its innovative discovery platform employs target quantum mapping alongside AI-driven chemistry, facilitating the faster and more efficient development of superior drug candidates. Kuano's technology is applicable across several sectors, including pharmaceuticals, crop protection, and industrial chemistry, ultimately enhancing the quality of new therapeutics while reducing the time required for their discovery.