Latest News from Origin
Unum – follow-on investment
We are delighted to have lead a follow-on funding round into our Unum, an existing portfolio company producing business class aircraft seating for the new-build (“linefit”) and retrofit markets. Unum has received strong customer interest since our February 2023 investment, and has recently moved to substantial new premises in the Crawley area. This will allow the company to access the local pool of experienced aviation industry professionals and provide the space required to fulfil orders anticipated in 2024 and beyond.
ViaNautis Bio – $25m investment round
Existing Origin portfolio company ViaNautis Bio (formerly SomaServe) has secured $25m in additional finance to further develop and commercialise therapies exploiting its proprietary polyNaut® drug delivery platform. The round was lead by new institutional and corporate venture investors but included significant participation from existing shareholders, including Origin.
Read more here.
Cyclops – expanding into new verticals
Cyclops, the specialist load-sensing business that we first backed in 2019, has raised a significant new funding round. This is to enable the business to expand its operations in two exciting new sectors: Utilities (where its technology can be used in the crucial measurement of power line tension), and Health and well-being, where the company is seeing interest from gym operators and equipment manufacturers, who wish to bring more data and measurement to the exercise experience. Cyclops has already made fantastic inroads into the race and cruising sailing markets.
Echion – Major new funding
Echion Technologies, an Origin portfolio company since 2018, has raised further development funding, led by US-based Volta Energy Technologies. The financing was also supported by existing investors, including Origin, and will fund further acceleration of Echion’s technical development and commercialisation activities.
Read more here.
Inductosense – investment from Aramco Ventures
Origin portfolio company Inductosense, experts and innovators in internal pipework corrosion monitoring, has raised money in a new investment round led by Aramco Ventures the corporate venturing arm of Aramco, the Middle-Eastern energy giant.
The funds will be used to support customer roll-out of Inductosense’s technology, including to Aramco itself, and to progress opportunities to integrate the company’s devices at point-of-manufacture, as well as to further develop its recurring revenue model.
Origin originally invested in Inductosense in 2019, following-on in 2021 and in the recent 2023 round.
Read more here.
Unum: Take off!
We have made a significant investment in Unum, a new supplier to the market for business class aircraft seats. The company has developed a range of novel designs, focused on increased comfort and pitch density, lower weight, and a high level of sustainability in materials and processes. Origin was the largest investor in a round that closed in February 2023. For more information, see here.
Origin Capital News: Q4 2022
Read about Origin’s latest portfolio activity and recent performance data here.
Swytch powers ahead with £4m of new funding
Swytch, the leading provider of retrofit electrification for bikes, has raised nearly £4m to fund new product development and further growth. The raise was conducted at very significant premium to Origin’s 2018 entry valuation. More information here.
NatureMetrics raises $15m and delivers partial exit
Origin portfolio company NatureMetrics, a specialist in DNA-based environmental monitoring, has raised over $15m of further funding. Origin investors, who backed the business in 2016, sold down a portion of their holdings in a secondary transaction, realising a very substantial return on the corresponding invested capital. We retain approximately 40% of our original holding, and look forward to further growth in the years ahead. Read more here.
trivago invests £5m in UBIO
Origin portfolio company UBIO has raised £5m in investment from trivago, the global accommodation search platform.
UBIO provides robot process automation services to enhance performance of a wide range of e-commerce websites. The investment will be used to further develop the company’s technology suite and to significantly expand its commercialisation activities.
We invested in Ubio in 2018.
Read more here.
