en.Wedoany.com Reported - K3Metrology, a spin-out from the UK's National Physical Laboratory, has secured £2.75 million in seed funding to commercialize a new generation of large-scale measurement technology designed to improve efficiency and reduce delays in advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors.
The investment round was led by the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, managed by Future Planet Capital, which contributed £750,000, with the Development Bank of Wales and Parkwalk Advisors co-investing £1 million each. This investment represents the largest cheque written to date from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund's Knowledge Asset portfolio, which focuses on translating public sector research into commercial enterprises. As part of the investment, K3Metrology has relocated from the National Physical Laboratory to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in North Wales, strengthening its links with industrial partners and access to manufacturing expertise to advance commercial deployment.
In sectors such as aerospace, manufacturers need to measure large, complex components within extremely tight tolerances. Current processes require specialist equipment to measure individual points while production is halted, followed by repeated calibration checks. These interruptions increase manufacturing cycle times, costs, and the demand for skilled engineering teams. K3Metrology's large-scale measurement technology allows manufacturers to measure multiple points simultaneously, continuously, and in real-time during the component assembly process, enabling engineers to identify alignment issues promptly and avoid costly rework discovered later in production.
This large-scale measurement technology makes measurement part of the manufacturing process, rather than a series of intermittent checks, thereby reducing production downtime, cutting rework caused by late-stage errors, improving skilled labour utilisation, and supporting a more automated and digital manufacturing environment, facilitating the management of global smart factories. The large-scale measurement technology was developed at the National Physical Laboratory and refined through collaboration with industrial partners in the advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors. The funding will be used to expand the engineering team, accelerate industrial trials, and support early commercial deployment.
Mike Campbell, CEO of K3Metrology, said: "We are delighted to secure this investment and to be backed by investors who understand both the technical challenges and the industrial opportunity. This funding provides us with a platform to scale a technology born at the National Physical Laboratory and apply it directly in some of the most demanding manufacturing environments." Sakura Holloway, Head of Knowledge Asset Investments at the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, said: "K3Metrology is a strong example of identifying the right opportunities within the UK's public knowledge base and investing time to shape them into investable businesses. We backed K3Metrology with our largest Knowledge Asset cheque to date because of the high confidence in the founders, the technology, and the solution it provides for relevant high-value sectors." Penny Holt, Chief Financial Officer at the National Physical Laboratory, said: "K3Metrology demonstrates how publicly funded science can be translated into high-value industrial capability for the UK. This technology is transformative, capable of improving industrial productivity, enhancing the competitiveness of UK manufacturing, and setting international standards for large-scale measurement." Dr Alison Campbell, CEO of the Government Office for Technology Transfer, said: "Spin-outs like K3Metrology show how investment in public sector research can be translated into commercially valuable products and services, driving UK growth, strengthening industrial capability, and delivering economic and social benefits."
The investment reflects growing demand from manufacturers for technologies that boost productivity, reduce waste, and enable automated and digital production. K3Metrology's large-scale measurement technology is designed to support manufacturers in building complex structures faster and more reliably, reducing disruption and enhancing the competitiveness of high-value manufacturing in the UK and internationally.
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