Luminous Ventures

Luminous Ventures Limited is a venture capital firm established in 2018 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with additional offices in Europe and North America. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, focusing on Seed, Seed+, and Series A funding rounds. Luminous Ventures targets companies that are developing frontier technologies and innovative applications in sectors such as healthcare, life sciences, nutrition, food, and agriculture. By investing in these dynamic industries, the firm aims to support and accelerate the growth of businesses that leverage cutting-edge technologies to address contemporary challenges.

Emir Jami

Partner

Thomas Profumo

Investment Director

Lomax Ward

Founding Partner

Nicholas Watkins

Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Board Member

Gary Wyatt

Owner, Principal and Board Member

29 past transactions

Conundrum

Series A in 2022
Conundrum is a prominent provider of industrial AI software focused on enhancing digital transformation within the metal, mining, and steel industries. Its platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to facilitate the development of efficient and cost-effective enterprise-scale industrial AI applications. By employing an open, data-driven architecture, Conundrum simplifies data science and application development, while simultaneously promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact for its clients. The platform incorporates artificial intelligence-powered control services and physics-informed machine learning to optimize industrial processes, enabling clients to improve production yields and decrease energy consumption.

Ellipsis Health

Series A in 2021
Ellipsis Health, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2013. It specializes in developing analytics solutions that utilize artificial intelligence to enhance behavioral health assessments by analyzing patient speech and clinical data. The company's platform offers a behavioral biomarker technology that generates clinical-grade evaluations of anxiety and depression severity, as well as sub-clinical assessments of stress. This innovative approach allows healthcare systems to continuously monitor their patient populations for mental health conditions, particularly depression, and facilitates timely support for patients in need. By integrating affective computing into patient and care team interactions, Ellipsis Health aims to create real-time behavioral health vital signs for improved patient outcomes.

Treos Bio

Convertible Note in 2021
Treos Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision cancer immunotherapies tailored to the genetic profiles of patients. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, California, the company utilizes proprietary technology and computational data science to predict individual responses to cancer treatments. Its product offerings include PEPI, a test that analyzes genetic data from saliva or blood samples to forecast immune responses, and PolyPEPI immunotherapy vaccines targeting various cancers such as melanoma, lung cancer, and breast cancer. Additionally, Treos Bio provides the PolyPEPI CDx companion diagnostic test, which helps determine the effectiveness of treatments for specific patients, allowing for personalized vaccine design. The company also offers a melanoma screening test to identify individuals at high risk for developing the disease based on genetic information.

LGN

Seed Round in 2021
LGN Innovations, Inc. specializes in artificial intelligence-based perception systems that aim to replicate human-level perception in autonomous technologies. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in London and Zagreb, the company develops innovative products such as LGN Auto-Calibrate, which connects AI systems to sensor arrays, and LGN Intelligent Select, which efficiently compresses and filters data. Their technology enhances the resolution and imaging capabilities of various devices, facilitating applications across multiple sectors, including automotive, retail, and satellite industries. By optimizing data capture and processing, LGN's solutions reduce costs and power consumption while promoting high-level autonomy, making advanced AI capabilities accessible to a broader range of industries.

Cytoseek

Seed Round in 2021
Cytoseek Limited, a spinout from the University of Bristol, develops innovative cell therapies aimed at treating cancer, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and diabetic wound healing. Established in 2017 and based in Bristol, the company utilizes a novel cell membrane augmentation technology that enhances the functionality of cell therapies. This technology enables targeted tissue delivery and improves cell survivability, potentially increasing the efficacy of treatments. Cytoseek is currently conducting proof of principle studies to validate its approach and is actively seeking partnerships with other cell therapy companies to advance these therapies into clinical applications, ultimately striving to improve human health.

Magdrive

Seed Round in 2020
Magdrive Limited, founded in 2019 and based in Didcot, United Kingdom, focuses on developing advanced spacecraft propulsion systems specifically for small satellites. The company has created a next-generation plasma thruster technology that merges the high thrust capabilities of chemical rockets with the efficiency of electric thrusters. This innovation allows spacecraft to achieve faster speeds and extend mission durations while minimizing the amount of propellant needed for various maneuvers. By improving fuel efficiency, Magdrive aims to provide satellite operators and manufacturers with a more cost-effective means of accessing space, particularly for missions in Low Earth Orbit.

Biomage

Seed Round in 2020
Biomage is a company that focuses on single-cell analysis to advance life sciences research. It has developed a platform that transforms extensive single-cell sequencing data into meaningful biological insights, enabling researchers to conduct in-depth analyses with ease. This platform specifically caters to the needs of research biologists, facilitating the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing. By streamlining the data interpretation process, Biomage enhances the potential for drug target discovery while significantly reducing costs. The company aims to empower scientists in both academia and industry, promoting the broader use of advanced sequencing technologies in various biological disciplines.

Kernal Biologics

Venture Round in 2020
Kernal Biologics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on designing and developing mRNA immunotherapies for diseases such as COVID-19 and cancer. Founded in 2016, the company utilizes its mRNA platform to enable specific cells to produce their own therapeutic agents. Kernal's innovative approach has garnered recognition, including awards from notable organizations like Amgen and NASA. The team behind Kernal Biologics has strong ties to prestigious institutions such as MIT and Harvard, along with extensive experience in the biotech sector, which underpins their expertise in the mRNA field.

Phenomic AI

Seed Round in 2020
Phenomic AI Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Toronto, Canada, founded in 2017. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence solutions to enhance drug discovery and the creation of therapies for cancer. Its innovative platform utilizes AI, computer vision, and high-content screening to analyze phenotypes in complex disease models, such as high-content co-culture and three-dimensional assays. By focusing on the tumor stroma, Phenomic AI aims to optimize the discovery and development of new medicines, streamlining the process for pharmaceutical companies to identify potential drug candidates more effectively.

Climax Foods

Seed Round in 2020
Climax Foods Inc. is a Berkeley, California-based company that specializes in producing plant-based foods using advanced artificial intelligence technology. Incorporated in 2019, the company employs data science, machine learning, and simulation frameworks to innovate and accelerate food development processes. By focusing on experimentation, Climax Foods rapidly creates dairy alternatives that are optimized for taste, texture, nutrition, and cost. This technology enables clients to manufacture plant-based products that can effectively compete with traditional animal-based foods, aiming to transform the global food production system.

Universal Quantum

Seed Round in 2020
Universal Quantum Ltd, established in 2018 and located in the United Kingdom, focuses on developing advanced qubit quantum computers aimed at addressing complex real-world challenges. The company employs silicon-based technology, which utilizes voltages applied to microchips and ultrafast electric field links to create a scalable architecture for qubits. This innovative approach allows Universal Quantum to provide clients with high computational power at a reduced cost, significantly outperforming today’s fastest supercomputers for certain calculations.

Temporall

Seed Round in 2020
Temporall provides an AI and analytics-based platform to give key performance insights to leadership teams. Temporall sits at the intersection of enterprise software and organisational science, bringing the very best of technology and human expertise to support our clients’ strategic needs.

Oxford VR

Series A in 2020
Oxford VR Limited specializes in developing cognitive treatments for various clinical conditions using virtual reality technology. Founded in 2016 and based in Oxford, United Kingdom, the company leverages extensive research from Professor Daniel Freeman to create automated therapies delivered by a virtual coach. These innovative treatments address issues such as fear of heights, psychosis, and social anxiety. By utilizing immersive VR experiences, Oxford VR aims to provide faster, more effective, and cost-efficient psychological interventions compared to traditional methods. The company's focus is on delivering clinically validated and user-centered solutions that enhance access to mental health care, benefiting patients, healthcare professionals, and the broader health system.

Mahana Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2020
Mahana Therapeutics, Inc. is a healthcare company focused on developing digital treatments for individuals with gastrointestinal diseases, particularly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The company offers a clinically validated application called Parallel, which provides a minimal-contact digital program aimed at improving the quality of life for patients suffering from IBS. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Mahana Therapeutics also has an office in London, United Kingdom. The company's solutions are designed to deliver both physical and psychological support, ensuring that patients receive clinically proven assistance to help them manage their chronic health conditions effectively.

LGN

Funding Round in 2019
LGN Innovations, Inc. specializes in artificial intelligence-based perception systems that aim to replicate human-level perception in autonomous technologies. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in London and Zagreb, the company develops innovative products such as LGN Auto-Calibrate, which connects AI systems to sensor arrays, and LGN Intelligent Select, which efficiently compresses and filters data. Their technology enhances the resolution and imaging capabilities of various devices, facilitating applications across multiple sectors, including automotive, retail, and satellite industries. By optimizing data capture and processing, LGN's solutions reduce costs and power consumption while promoting high-level autonomy, making advanced AI capabilities accessible to a broader range of industries.

Optellum

Seed Round in 2019
Optellum develops an imaging biomarker for smart lung cancer detection. Optellum’s vision is to redefine cancer care, by enabling every clinician, in every hospital, to manage their patients in the optimal way. They do that by providing end-end IT platform for personalized early diagnosis and therapy, based on the collective experience of thousands of doctors pooled by machine learning applied to vast patient datasets. Their first suite of products targets management of patients at high risk of developing lung cancer – the world’s deadliest and commonest cancer – from early diagnosis through to treatment. Optellum comprises a team of award-winning medical imaging software, AI, and clinical experts who met at Oxford’s world-renowned computer vision lab. Between us, they have track records of bringing innovation to market through over 10 start-up companies, resulting already in 5 trade-sales and one IPO. They are backed by an Advisory Board comprising world-leading clinicians and experts in deep learning ; and Oxford's most prominent investors. They are building up their product development team – join their fight against cancer, working together with former software engineers from top technology companies (Amazon, Facebook, Redhat) and veterans of medical imaging startups (e.g. Mirada Solutions – acquired by Siemens).

Astroscreen

Seed Round in 2019
Astroscreen Ltd is a London-based company that specializes in developing a software as a service (SaaS) platform aimed at detecting astroturfing campaigns, which involve deceptive social media manipulation. Founded in 2018, the platform employs advanced machine learning techniques and human intelligence to identify fake accounts, botnets, and spam across social networks. By leveraging social media bot data, Astroscreen provides disinformation analysts with the tools needed to verify social media influence engagement and cleanse data streams. This enables organizations to combat marketing fraud, safeguard their brands, and obtain reliable insights into social media analytics.

Hadean

Venture Round in 2019
Hadean is a venture-backed startup focused on transforming distributed, spatial, and scalable computing for web 3.0 and the metaverse. The company offers a cloud-distributed computing platform that enables developers to build, run, and scale real-time applications, facilitating petascale computing on extensive datasets. Hadean's technology bridges physical and virtual environments, allowing for unprecedented digital scale and fidelity, which enhances real-world applications. Their solutions support a range of clients, including CAE, Microsoft, Minecraft, the Francis Crick Institute, PixelMax, GamesCoin, and BAE Systems, positioning Hadean as a key player in the development of the metaverse and enterprise applications.

Vital Bio

Funding Round in 2019
Vital Bio is focused on transforming lab testing to make healthcare more accessible and personalized. The company develops advanced diagnostic technologies that connect diagnosis and treatment through a comprehensive ecosystem of devices, software, and services. By empowering patients to monitor their health and manage diseases, Vital Bio aims to enhance the overall healthcare experience. Their approach seeks to reduce disparities in healthcare outcomes and redistribute control to patients while equipping healthcare providers with the tools necessary to achieve better results.

Synthace

Series B in 2018
Synthace Limited is a company focused on transforming the way biological experimentation is conducted across various sectors, including health, pharmaceuticals, food, energy, agri-science, and industrial biotechnology. Established in 2011 and headquartered in London, with an additional office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Synthace offers a cloud-based platform called Antha. This platform enables life science research and development teams to streamline their experimental processes by allowing scientists to design, plan, and execute reproducible experiments without requiring coding skills. Antha facilitates the automation of laboratory experiments and the organization of experimental data, making it easier for researchers to run complex experiments that might have been previously deemed impractical. The company has also formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft to enhance its offerings.

BioBeats

Seed Round in 2018
BioBeats is a London-based company that develops artificial intelligence products aimed at addressing global mental health issues. As mental and substance use disorders account for a significant portion of the global disease burden, BioBeats seeks to provide innovative solutions through its psychological wellness application. This app calculates a baseline wellbeing score and offers personalized support by integrating biometric data from biosensors and wearable devices. By analyzing both physiological and psychological indicators, the application helps users identify harmful patterns and understand their responses to stress, ultimately aiming to enhance overall mental wellbeing. With a foundation built on 15 years of research, including collaborations with the University of Oxford, BioBeats leverages real-time data to improve psychological therapy and facilitate early intervention for mental health disorders. The company was established in 2012 and has been committed to advancing mental health support through technology.

Facesoft

Seed Round in 2018
FaceSoft is developing machine learning models and databases that improve 3D facial recognition and computer-generated facial reconstruction technologies. The spinout's reconstruction algorithm has been trained on a database of 2.5 million high-resolution 3D facial scans. The company was founded in 2017 and based in London, England.

Beyond

Seed Round in 2018
Your knowledgeable companion for everything after life. Whatever journey you’re on, you can trust Beyond to help you make the best decision.
Active Global Specialised Caregivers offers home personal care, live-in caregiver, and respite care services. It provides caregiver services for patients with cancer, dementia, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, visual/hearing impairment, nutrition/elimination problems, schizophrenia, stoma and wound problems, and allergies. Active Global Specialised Caregivers began operation in 2013. It has its headquarters in Singapore.

Synthace

Series A in 2017
Synthace Limited is a company focused on transforming the way biological experimentation is conducted across various sectors, including health, pharmaceuticals, food, energy, agri-science, and industrial biotechnology. Established in 2011 and headquartered in London, with an additional office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Synthace offers a cloud-based platform called Antha. This platform enables life science research and development teams to streamline their experimental processes by allowing scientists to design, plan, and execute reproducible experiments without requiring coding skills. Antha facilitates the automation of laboratory experiments and the organization of experimental data, making it easier for researchers to run complex experiments that might have been previously deemed impractical. The company has also formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft to enhance its offerings.

Sparrho

Venture Round in 2017
Sparrho operates a discovery platform designed to make scientific information more accessible. The platform aggregates, distills, and recommends relevant content from various sources, including journals, patents, and conferences. It provides customized and filtered recommendations, allowing users to add content, save discoveries, and share findings. Founded in 2013 by two Oxbridge scientists, Sparrho emerged from a need for more effective literature search tools. The company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and serves a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies worldwide. By leveraging a combination of artificial intelligence and expert input, termed Augmented Intelligence, Sparrho aims to enhance the way scientific research is curated and consumed.

Hadean

Seed Round in 2017
Hadean is a venture-backed startup focused on transforming distributed, spatial, and scalable computing for web 3.0 and the metaverse. The company offers a cloud-distributed computing platform that enables developers to build, run, and scale real-time applications, facilitating petascale computing on extensive datasets. Hadean's technology bridges physical and virtual environments, allowing for unprecedented digital scale and fidelity, which enhances real-world applications. Their solutions support a range of clients, including CAE, Microsoft, Minecraft, the Francis Crick Institute, PixelMax, GamesCoin, and BAE Systems, positioning Hadean as a key player in the development of the metaverse and enterprise applications.

Beyond

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Your knowledgeable companion for everything after life. Whatever journey you’re on, you can trust Beyond to help you make the best decision.

BioBeats

Seed Round in 2016
BioBeats is a London-based company that develops artificial intelligence products aimed at addressing global mental health issues. As mental and substance use disorders account for a significant portion of the global disease burden, BioBeats seeks to provide innovative solutions through its psychological wellness application. This app calculates a baseline wellbeing score and offers personalized support by integrating biometric data from biosensors and wearable devices. By analyzing both physiological and psychological indicators, the application helps users identify harmful patterns and understand their responses to stress, ultimately aiming to enhance overall mental wellbeing. With a foundation built on 15 years of research, including collaborations with the University of Oxford, BioBeats leverages real-time data to improve psychological therapy and facilitate early intervention for mental health disorders. The company was established in 2012 and has been committed to advancing mental health support through technology.
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