The Birmingham-based risk management company raised the capital to advance its AI platform and expand its team.
"I am pleased to see a unique West Midlands-based business that is focused on an industry of the future secure this investment. This is the sort of venture the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund was set up for. Large retailers are under pressure to improve their corporate social responsibility. Bendi has created a useful tool to detect malpractices and help companies deliver sustainable practices, improve community cohesion, and minimise carbon footprints."
— Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, and chair of the WMCA
Parkwalk Advisors led the raise alongside a grant from Innovate UK to support the development of sleep technology applications.
"Smell can be our most powerful sense and only now are we realising the potential of technology to translate it for experience, welfare and health. This technology has enormous commercial applications which this new investment will help us unlock."
The seed round was led by Sure Valley Ventures with participation from Ada Ventures, Heartfelt, and Atlas Ventures.
"At PHINXT, our mission is to revolutionise the logistics industry with our cloud-based platform that seamlessly integrates any type of robot, enabling them to collaborate and coordinate in a shared space without the need for a centralised server. Our robot-agnostic platform supports warehouses at every stage of their automation journey, providing unparalleled flexibility and efficiency. We aim to be the gateway for the logistics industry, facilitating the integration of these robots into operations and helping businesses achieve a rapid return on investment. By accommodating different types of robots, we ensure that warehouses can optimise various tasks, from picking to transportation, enhancing overall productivity."
Accel led the seed round with participation from Picus Capital, Eka Ventures, and notable angels to fund team expansion and market growth.
"Karl and Archy have a wealth of experience in the energy sector, and their vision for rebuilding the grid in favour of renewable energy sources is truly exciting – and necessary. They’ve seen strong early traction, with their easy-to-use software platform already being used by major manufacturers. We’re proud to back Axle Energy as they continue this growth."
The funding round was led by the Development Bank of Wales alongside Carbon13 and angel investors.
"Energy costs have risen over 350% since 2021 and carbon emissions from buildings need to reduce by 50% by 2030 but almost 90% of non-domestic buildings don’t have a building management system. This lack of data is hindering the ability to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions."
