Imperagen secures £5m seed funding from PXN Ventures to advance enzyme engineering platform.
The funding round was led by PXN Ventures with participation from IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone.
Imperagen is a Manchester-based techbio company that combines quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and automated laboratories to engineer enzymes for various industrial applications.
Imperagen has secured £5m in seed financing led by PXN Ventures, with participation from existing backers IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone. The fresh capital will be deployed to accelerate research and development initiatives, expand laboratory capacity, and scale commercial operations. The funding milestone coincides with the appointment of Guy Levy-Yurista as chief executive officer to guide the firm through its next phase of growth.
From the founder
"What I see right now is that the companies that will make a radical difference in this emerging AI-driven future are all AI-native, lean on real world data, have genuine impact, and are fundamentally deep tech. Imperagen has each of those characteristics, combining them with outstanding people, phenomenal technology and the undeniable swagger you only get from Manchester. It was a no-brainer to join the team and lead this next stage in its growth."
Guy Levy-Yurista
CEO at Imperagen
Investor perspective
"The North West’s life sciences ecosystem is becoming stronger all the time and stands to gain from Imperagen’s local hiring and growth plans, building on the company’s connection to the University of Manchester’s Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. We’re excited to be supporting Imperagen with investment from both the GMC Life Sciences Fund and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II as the company looks to scale success in enzyme engineering and deliver progress within the life sciences sector, which is one of the key sectors highlighted in the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy."
Sim Singh-Landa
Investment Director, PXN Ventures
Use of funds
- 01Fund research and development
- 02Accelerate go-to-market
