Northern Gritstone is a Manchester-based fund with £382m in capital and a portfolio of 51 companies.
The Leeds spinout secured backing led by Northern Gritstone to prepare its microfluidic device for human trials.
"At IVFmicro, we are harnessing years of research into reproductive biology to create a practical, accessible solution that can improve outcomes for patients undergoing fertility treatment. Our goal is to make IVF more effective, more predictable, and ultimately more hopeful for those striving to start a family."
The funding round was led by Northern Gritstone with participation from Amadeus Capital Partners, Manta Ray, Mercia Ventures and NPIF, Mercia Equity Finance.
"Sitehop is proving the critical need for future-proof encryption, demonstrated by our early customer traction globally. As a Sheffield-founded company, this investment from Northern Gritstone supports our mission to grow and scale in the region and build world-leading sovereign encryption capability right here in the UK – meaning we can accelerate international expansion while keeping the UK at the forefront of world-class cybersecurity innovation."
The oversubscribed round was led by Energy Impact Partners with backing from several climate and technology investors.
"We are laser-focused on doing the hard yards to improve the physical layer of the grid, specifically overhead systems. The AssetCool team is innovating at the nexus between robotics and materials science to bring meaningful improvements to an aging network. We’ve developed a new range of coatings systematically optimised for overhead lines that makes the grid more efficient and resilient – not by rebuilding it, but by enhancing what already exists."
Northern Gritstone and Mercuri co-led the pre-seed round to help the Newcastle-based artificial intelligence firm commercialise its technology.
"We’re at a pivotal moment for AI with adoption continuing to accelerate alongside sustainability and cost concerns. Our logic-based AI offers a new solution for those that want and need high-performing AI that is faster, more energy efficient and more explainable than what’s currently available via neural networks. This funding comes at a time when we’re ready to significantly speed up our product development and will enable us to bring our first product to market later this year."
BGF led the Series A round with participation from existing backers including Octopus Ventures, Northern Gritstone, and Foresight.
"This funding comes at a pivotal moment as demand for high-speed optical communication systems is growing enormously. By developing world-class, high-performance infrared sensors, we are enabling industries to push the boundaries of connectivity, efficiency, and security by removing a technology bottleneck that has persisted for over 20 years."
