Radar · Advanced Materials in United Kingdom
Best Advanced Materials Companies in United Kingdom
The 167 best Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Polymateria.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
167companies tracked
$714.3Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
87have raised
$714 million in disclosed funding across 167 Advanced Materials companies tracked in the United Kingdom tells you this sector is serious capital territory, even without a single unicorn on the board. This directory ranks those companies by equity funding and recent momentum, so if you're trying to map where the real bets are landing, you're in the right place. The global advanced materials market sits at $76.3B in 2024, forecast to reach $114.9B by 2032 at a 6.04% CAGR, driven by demand for high-performance materials and energy efficiency. Severe regulatory pressure shapes the field too, pushing companies toward compliance-led innovation rather than pure performance plays.
SmartKem leads the UK funding table at $55M, well clear of Haydale at $24M, with Immaterial and Xampla each pulling $18M. I'd note that spread matters: the capital here is distributed, not concentrated in one breakout name. As shown in 2010 research, material performance gains compound when engineering constraints tighten, which is exactly the dynamic sustaining this cohort. Investors like Europa, EIC Fund, and Ukri are backing the thesis steadily. And with urban sustainability driving hot coverage across the sector, the pipeline behind these top filers looks anything but thin.
Sources & further reading
- Smart cities: a $400bn opportunity for advanced materials
- Advanced Materials Research
Ranked: Best Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Market signals (1y) | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymateria Developer of biodegradable and compostable plastics 48Moat top 21%Patents top 33%Innovation top 39%Funding top 39% All 11 signals ▾Moattop 21% Patentstop 33% Innovationtop 39% Fundingtop 39% Growthtop 45% Producttop 49% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 41% Newsbottom 27% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 63 patents Patents: 63 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 22 filings since 2022 vs 41 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $79M | 38 mo ago | 34 34 → 47 (+38%) · sector median +62% | Lee Martin Co-Founder | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+22 | Top 50M | — | 63 patents Biodegradable polymer production methods and compositions for sustainable packaging materials | 1 internship · 3 awards |
| 2 | VitroLabs Provider of artificial lab-grown leather materials 48Patents top 19%Moat top 21%Innovation top 29%Funding top 37% All 8 signals ▾Patentstop 19% Moattop 21% Innovationtop 29% Fundingtop 37% Globalbottom 44% Marketbottom 42% Techbottom 37% Newsbottom 21% Patents: 42 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 29 filings since 2022 vs 13 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 42 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $56M | 49 mo ago | 43 | — | — | — | — | 29 patents Manufacturing engineered skin tissue constructs for biomedical and cosmetic applications | — |
| 3 | SmartKem Developer of application-specific organic materials for organic thin-film transistors | $55M | 17 mo ago | 52 | Ian Jenks Chairman and CEO | WordPress Block EditorwpBakeryWordPress+25 | Top 10M | 5 signals ▼50% Contracts · M&A | 113 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 4 | Graphene NanoChem Technology commercialization company operating in two divisions Advanced materials & advanced chemicals | $50M | 158 mo ago | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Worn Again Circular recycling technology for textiles 35Patents top 30%Moat top 32%Innovation top 34%Talent top 39% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 30% Moattop 32% Innovationtop 34% Talenttop 39% Fundingtop 42% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 36% Marketbottom 27% Newsbottom 22% Patents: 45 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 18 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 45 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $48M | 44 mo ago | 13 13 → 21 (+62%) · sector median +62% | Cyndi Rhoades Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | Top 10M | — | 45 patents Recycling and upcycling cellulose-based textiles into regenerated fibers and fabrics | — |
| 6 | Econic Technologies Developer of technology that transforms carbon dioxide into valuable raw materials 32Funding top 29%Moat top 37%Talent top 38%Tech bottom 45% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 29% Moattop 37% Talenttop 38% Techbottom 45% Growthbottom 44% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 41% Patentsbottom 34% Innovationbottom 28% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $43.2M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 14 yrs (0.6/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 6 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $43M | 20 mo ago | 31 31 → 53 (+71%) · sector median +62% | Charlotte Williams Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | Top 10M | — | 6 patents Design of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for polymerization and chemical synthesis | 1 launch · 1 award |
| 7 | Notpla Manufacturer of seaweed-based bioplastics 55Patents top 24%Moat top 25%Innovation top 28%Funding top 31% All 10 signals ▾Patentstop 24% Moattop 25% Innovationtop 28% Fundingtop 31% Talenttop 38% Growthtop 45% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 38% Newsbottom 20% Patents: 26 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 24 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 26 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $41M | 26 mo ago | 43 43 → 105 (+144%) · sector median +62% | Pierre Paslier Co-Founder & Co-CEO | WebflowMicrosoft AdvertisingHubSpot+15 | Top 5M | — | 26 patents Seaweed-based biodegradable packaging films and extrusion manufacturing processes | 1 award |
| 8 | Cambridge Mechatronics Shape memory alloy-based actuators for optical image stabilization | $40M | 28 mo ago | 100 | Tony Hooley Founder | Apple iCloud Mailcore-jsBrowser-Update.org+7 | Top 10M | — | 1,070 patents Patents concentrated in mechanical & energy engineering | 1 job opening |
| 9 | Porotech Developer of GaN-based microLED displays | $27M | 51 mo ago | 17 | Yingjun Liu Co-Founder & CTO | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | Top 10M | — | — | — |
| 10 | Puraffinity Provider of water treatment solution 55Funding top 27%Talent top 28%Patents top 32%Moat top 32% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 27% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 32% Moattop 32% Innovationtop 33% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 35% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $25.8M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 9 yrs (1.2/yr) Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $26M | 21 mo ago | 16 16 → 40 (+150%) · sector median +62% | Despoina Paschou ex-Co-Founder | — | — | — | 30 patents Functionalized sorbent materials for contaminant removal in water treatment processes | — |
| 11 | Haydale Developer of functionalised graphene and nanomaterial additives for various applications 45News top 16%Funding top 21%Product top 24%Patents top 32% All 11 signals ▾Newstop 16% Fundingtop 21% Producttop 24% Patentstop 32% Partnerstop 42% Moattop 42% Growthtop 45% Globalbottom 49% Marketbottom 48% Innovationbottom 48% Techbottom 32% News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 21 tracked, 9 types) · +133% YoY Funding: Raised $23.8M across 10 rounds · 10 rounds over 11 yrs (0.9/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $24M | 5 mo ago | 54 54 → 30 (-44%) · sector median +62% | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | Top 10M | 7 signals ▲133% M&A · Contracts · New product | 18 patents Advanced polymer nanocomposite manufacturing and plasma-enabled waste material recycling | — |
| 12 | D3O Manufacturer of impact, vibration, and shock absorption materials | $19M | 134 mo ago | 80 | — | Windows ServerVimeoYouTube+15 | Top 5M | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 13 | Immaterial Manufacturer of nanoscale metal-organic frameworks 40Patents top 30%News top 32%Growth top 35%Funding top 36% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 30% Newstop 32% Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 36% Innovationtop 37% Moattop 38% Talenttop 38% Partnerstop 45% Globalbottom 43% Marketbottom 23% Techbottom 23% Patents: 21 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 20 filings since 2022 vs 1 in 2017-21 News: 4 BI events in 12 mo (of 5 tracked, 2 types) · Top themes: Funding, Capital raise rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 40/100 | $18M | 4 mo ago | 14 | David Fairen-Jimenez Co-Founder & CSO | WordPress Site EditorVisual ComposerWordPress+17 | Top 10M | 4 signals Funding · Capital raise | 21 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 14 | Xampla Manufacturer of plant based bio-degradable packaging products 50Patents top 29%Moat top 32%Funding top 33%Innovation top 35% All 10 signals ▾Patentstop 29% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 33% Innovationtop 35% Growthtop 35% Techtop 36% Talenttop 38% Newsbottom 42% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 20% Patents: 55 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 55 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 55 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $18M | 9 mo ago | 1 | Marc Garcia Co-Founder & CTO | WordPressMySQLPHP+25 | Top 10M | — | 55 patents Biodegradable plant‑protein biopolymers for packaging, coatings, and microencapsulation. | — |
| 15 | Promethean Particles Manufacturer of metal-organic frameworks for industrial applications like carbon capture | $13M | 22 mo ago | 11 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | Top 50M | — | 9 patents Advanced mixing reactors for scalable synthesis of MOFs and hydroxyapatite materials | 1 award |
| 16 | Nuada Provider of carbon capture technology solutions 24Funding top 33%Talent top 38%Moat top 47%Patents bottom 45% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 33% Talenttop 38% Moattop 47% Patentsbottom 45% Globalbottom 42% Innovationbottom 39% Partnersbottom 35% Marketbottom 31% Techbottom 30% Newsbottom 20% Funding: Raised $12.8M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 14 yrs (0.8/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $13M | 14 mo ago | 19 | Conor Hamill Co-CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+13 | Top 50M | — | 9 patents Novel heterocyclic boronic acid compounds for therapeutic applications | — |
| 17 | PACT Developer of sustainable biomaterials from organic materials | $12M | 7 mo ago | 2 | Yudi Ding Co-Founder & CEO | SanityApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+13 | Top 50M | — | — | — |
| 18 | Milvus Advanced Developer of nanoscale materials for catalysis in green fuel production | $10M | 9 mo ago | — | Assia Kasdi Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | 1 job opening |
| 19 | Kelpi Manufacturer of bioplastics using seaweed | $10M | 24 mo ago | 3 | Neil Morris Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+13 | Top 10M | — | — | 1 partnership · 2 awards |
| 20 | CelluComp Manufacturer of nano-fibers for paint & coatings | $9M | 123 mo ago | 6 | — | — | — | — | 97 patents Cellulose nanocomposites and citric‑acid‑modified paperboard for advanced material applications | — |
| 21 | TG0 Developer of touch-sensitive technology for automotive, consumer, and medical products | $7M | 18 mo ago | 21 21 → 40 (+90%) · sector median +62% | Ming Kong Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | 3 job openings · 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 22 | Shellworks Biotech startup Shellworks is focused on creating sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging by turning… 32Funding top 37%Talent top 38%Moat top 41%Growth top 45% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 37% Talenttop 38% Moattop 41% Growthtop 45% Techbottom 49% Globalbottom 42% Patentsbottom 41% Marketbottom 33% Innovationbottom 30% Funding: Raised $6.2M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $6M | 8 mo ago | 21 | Insiya Jafferjee Co-Founder & CEO | Webflow EcommerceWebflowPayPal+10 | Top 5M | — | 2 patents Sterile primary packaging solutions for injectable medical devices and drug delivery systems. | — |
| 23 | Footfalls & Heartbeats Provider of smart sensor textiles | $5M | 63 mo ago | 12 12 → 8 (-33%) · sector median +62% | Andrew Garland CEO | — | — | — | 19 patents Wearable textile sensors for physiological monitoring and structural health detection. | 1 launch |
| 24 | GRAPHENE COMPOSITES Manufacturer of the graphene material | $5M | 58 mo ago | 6 | Sandy Chen Founder and CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+25 | Top 10M | — | 59 patents Graphene‑based antiviral/antimicrobial coatings and protective wearable laminate composites. | — |
| 25 | Cuantec Developer of biopolymer-based degradable packing materials | $5M | 52 mo ago | 13 | Cait Murray-Green CEO | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+13 | Top 50M | — | — | — |
| 26 | 4D Medicine Company specializes in research, development, and commercialization of transformative gene therapeutic… | $4M | 22 mo ago | — | Andrew Dove Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+10 | Top 50M | — | 16 patents Biodegradable polymer drug‑delivery resins and tunable biocompatible materials for medical applications | — |
| 27 | Modern Synthesis Developer of biomaterials using microbial fermentation for various applications 32Patents top 36%Talent top 38%Innovation top 41%Funding top 43% All 7 signals ▾Patentstop 36% Talenttop 38% Innovationtop 41% Fundingtop 43% Moatbottom 49% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 24% Patents: 9 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 7 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $4M | 13 mo ago | 9 | Ben Reeve Co-Founder & CTO | — | — | — | 9 patents Sustainable nanocellulose‑based composites for high‑strength, bio‑derived materials | — |
| 28 | Solena Materials Developer of sustainable, non-oil derived, biodegradable fibres for the apparel industry 24Talent top 38%AI top 45%Tech bottom 46%Funding bottom 44% All 7 signals ▾Talenttop 38% AItop 45% Techbottom 46% Fundingbottom 44% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 23% Newsbottom 18% Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated AI: Product described with: deep learning rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $4M | 13 mo ago | — | James Macdonald Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+14 | Top 50M | — | — | 1 job opening |
| 29 | Perpetuus Advanced Materials Develops and manufactures garphene at industrial scale | $4M | 28 mo ago | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Qualus Provider of technology enabling sustainable leather production through reduced resource consumption | $4M | 60 mo ago | 7 | Vikrant Pratap CEO | — | — | 12 signals ▲300% M&A · Acquisition | — | — |
| 31 | Interface Polymers Compatibility and surface functionality solutions for the polyolefin industry | $3M | 37 mo ago | 13 | Phil Smith Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | Top 50M | — | 32 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 32 | Floreon Transforming Packaging Developer of a new plant-based polymer blend of PLA | $3M | 24 mo ago | 4 | — | — | — | — | 7 patents Biodegradable polymer blends for sustainable packaging materials | — |
| 33 | FlexSea Manufacturer of food packaging products | $2M | 32 mo ago | 4 | — | — | — | — | 13 patents Production of algae-derived biodegradable polymers and compostable plastic formulations. | — |
| 34 | Zentraxa Provider of design, production, and testing of peptides | $2M | 14 mo ago | 8 | Paul Race Co-Founder & Director | WordPressMySQLPHP+11 | Top 50M | — | 4 patents Peptide-based adhesive materials for biomedical and industrial bonding applications | — |
| 35 | Axenic Developer of gallium arsenide based electro-optic modulator device | $2M | 8 mo ago | 7 | Steve Clements Founder & CEO | — | — | — | 20 patents High‑speed electro‑optic modulators and integrated photonic waveguide components | — |
| 36 | Dyman Manufacturer of synthetic diamonds | $2M | 47 mo ago | 6 | Gary Gibson Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Kromek Developer of radiation detection solutions for multiple applications | $2M | 29 mo ago | 139 139 → 122 (-12%) · sector median +62% | Arnab Basu CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | Top 5M | 11 signals ▼45% Contracts · Earnings | 284 patents Radiation detection instrumentation and microfluidic genomic analysis systems | 1 job opening |
| 38 | HTMS Developer of high temperature composite material systems for various applications | $2M | 8 mo ago | 3 | Richard Grainger Co-Founder & CTO | PrismicNode.jsTailwind CSS+8 | Top 50M | — | — | 1 award |
| 39 | Biophilica Developer of biobased materials for various industries | $2M | 48 mo ago | 6 | Jordan Berkowitz Co-Founder | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | Arda Biomaterials Developer of biomaterials 21Patents top 38%Moat top 38%Talent top 38%Partners top 45% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 38% Moattop 38% Talenttop 38% Partnerstop 45% Fundingtop 47% Innovationtop 48% Growthbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 22% Newsbottom 18% Marketbottom 16% Patents: 4 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 4 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 4 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 21/100 | $1M | 13 mo ago | 4 | Tj Mitchell Co-Founder & CTO | Amazon Web ServicesjQuerycore-js+6 | Top 50M | — | 4 patents Sustainable bio-leather and protein-based electrospun textile materials. | — |
| 41 | Nanomox Developer of advanced materials for widespread applications and waste stream recovery 22Patents top 34%Talent top 38%Innovation top 43%Funding top 49% All 7 signals ▾Patentstop 34% Talenttop 38% Innovationtop 43% Fundingtop 49% Moatbottom 49% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 16% Patents: 12 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 9 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 22/100 | $1M | 4 mo ago | 2 | Jason Hallett Co-Founder | — | — | — | 12 patents Ionic-liquid-based metal recovery and synthesis of metal/metalloid compounds | — |
| 42 | Lineat Provider of carbon fibre reinforced composite materials | $1M | 20 mo ago | 12 | Lourens Blok Co-Founder & CTO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 43 | GraphEnergyTech Developer of graphene-based electrodes for solar cells, replacing precious metals 21Talent bottom 49%Funding bottom 44%Market bottom 37%Global bottom 37% All 4 signals ▾Talentbottom 49% Fundingbottom 44% Marketbottom 37% Globalbottom 37% Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated Funding: Raised $1.3M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 2 yrs (0.5/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 21/100 | $1M | 22 mo ago | — | Thomas Baumeler Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 44 | Fibe Developer of natural textile fibers derived from agricultural harvest waste | $1M | 26 mo ago | — | Idan Shohet Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowYouTubeTypekit+11 | Top 50M | — | 5 patents Biobased plant fiber production from potato haulm for textile applications | — |
| 45 | PeroLED Manufacturer of light-emitting materials for display applications | $1M | 29 mo ago | 1 | Donal Bradley Co-Founder | — | — | — | 20 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 46 | Dragonfly Insulation Manufacturer of silica aerogels | $1M | 27 mo ago | 4 | — | — | — | — | 7 patents Manufacturing silica aerogel materials for high-performance thermal insulation | — |
| 47 | Planet Smart Developer of bio-based, home compostable superabsorbent polymers for various applications | $1M | 7 mo ago | — | Gerald Marin Co-Founder | — | — | — | — | — |
| 48 | Graphene Star Manufacturer of graphene and graphene products | $967K | 38 mo ago | 2 | Marina Yevgenyevna Starkova CEO | GoDaddy Website BuilderReactRequireJS+6 | Top 10M | — | 15 patents Graphene synthesis, graphene‑based materials, and advanced graphite processing technologies. | — |
| 49 | Carbon Cell Developer of biodegradable polymer-based foams | $250K | 18 mo ago | — | Juan Rion Co-Founder | WixSentryUIKit+9 | Top 50M | — | — | — |
| 50 | Aeropowder Technology to convert feather waste to bio-composites | $191K | 24 mo ago | 3 | — | — | — | — | 5 patents Feather-derived absorbent composites for oil spill remediation | — |
Top 12 Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom
#1
Public · Swansea, Wales · founded 2010 · 54 employees$23.8Mraised▾
Public · Swansea, Wales · founded 2010 · 54 employees
Developer of functionalised graphene and nanomaterial additives for various applications. They offer functionalisation processes that enhance material properties. These materials improve strength, durability, thermal conductivity, and electrical performance. The company's products are used in elastomers, rubber technology, graphene inks, and heating systems.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 45how this company ranks against its industry peers
News
top 16%Funding
top 21%Product
top 24%Patents
top 32%Partners
top 42%Moat
top 42%News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 21 tracked, 9 types) · +133% YoY · 6 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Funding: Raised $23.8M across 10 rounds · 10 rounds over 11 yrs (0.9/yr) · Last round Post IPO (Jan 2026)
Product: 1 product launch event in 12 mo · 5 distinct product lines · Company stage: Public
Audience (LinkedIn): 3k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Post IPO$7.7M
- Dec 2023Grant (prize money)—
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$312.5K
- Aug 2022Post IPO$5.9M
Investors
Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, Gov, Gov Wales, Octopus Investments, Ukri, Europa
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerAutoptimizeBeaver BuilderCookieyesGodaddyGoogle Analytics
#2
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2015 · 14 employees$18.2Mraised▾
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2015 · 14 employees
Manufacturer of nanoscale metal-organic frameworks
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 40how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 30%News
top 32%Growth
top 35%Funding
top 36%Innovation
top 37%Moat
top 38%Patents: 21 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 20 filings since 2022 vs 1 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
News: 4 BI events in 12 mo (of 5 tracked, 2 types) · Top themes: Funding, Capital raise
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Funding rounds
- Feb 2026Series A—
- Oct 2025Series A$18.2M
- Sep 2023Series A—
- Mar 2020Grant (prize money)$16.8K
Founders & team
Investors
SLB, AP Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, ERV, JERA, Trirec
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerComplianzGodaddyGoogle Font ApiGsapJquery
#3
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2018 · 1 employees$17.9Mraised▾
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2018 · 1 employees
Manufacturer of plant based bio-degradable packaging products. It provides users with bio-based vegan material made from plant protein, enabling companies to produce packaging products. The catalog includes polymer stretch film, wrapping papers, microcapsules, and more. Its product ranges from microplastics within homecare products to edible packaging for the food and beverage industry.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 29%Moat
top 32%Funding
top 33%Innovation
top 35%Growth
top 35%Tech
top 36%Patents: 55 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 55 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 55 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding: Raised $17.9M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 6 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series A (Sep 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers — 5.2% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Series A$14M
- Jan 2024Seed$7M
- Jan 2024Grant (prize money)—
- Aug 2021Grant (prize money)$222.6K
Founders & team
Investors
Amadeus Capital, Cambridge Enterprise, Sky Ocean Rescue, Martlet Capital, Parkwalk, Europa
Tech stack
AlbacrossCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyesCore-Js
#4
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2019 · 2 employees$12Mraised▾
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2019 · 2 employees
Developer of sustainable biomaterials from organic materials. It provides users with an organisation dedicated to creating sustainable, transformative biomaterials from earthly resources like collagen, oils, minerals, and herbal extracts. They also provide a selection of things manufactured using organic cotton, such as apparel and housewares.
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series A$20M
- Sep 2024Seed$12M
Founders & team
Investors
Hoxton Ventures, ReGen Ventures, Polytechnique Ventures, Celsius Industries, Forbion, HV Capital
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailGsapHstsLenisMicrosoft 365Next.Js
#5
Public · Manchester, England · founded 2009 · 52 employees$55Mraised▾
Public · Manchester, England · founded 2009 · 52 employees
Developer of application-specific organic materials for organic thin-film transistors. It develops organic semiconductor materials for the manufacture of flexible displays and electronics. It has applications in smartwatch displays and transistor backplanes. It also provides links and coatings for use in electronic devices.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 3 partnerships · 1 expansions (incl. Jericho Energy Ventures) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Dec 2024Post IPO$7.6M
- Dec 2024Grant (prize money)$1.1M
- Sep 2024Post IPO$152.4K
- Mar 2024Post IPO$347.5K
Founders & team
Investors
EIC Fund, Porton Group, Development Bank of Wales, Entrepreneurs Fund, Octopus Ventures, BASF
Tech stack
Animate.CssApache Http ServerBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementContact Form 7
#6
Series A · London, England · founded 2018 · 21 employees$6.2Mraised▾
Series A · London, England · founded 2018 · 21 employees
Shellworks is a biotech startup that aims to eliminate plastic waste by creating sustainable bio-polymer products. They use waste crustacean shells to develop biodegradable and compostable alternatives to plastic packaging.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 37%Talent
top 38%Moat
top 41%Growth
top 45%Tech
bottom 49%Global
bottom 42%Funding: Raised $6.2M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2025)
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 2 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series A$15M
- May 2022Seed$6.2M
- Jun 2021Seed$229K
- Jul 2020Seed$710K
Founders & team
Investors
LocalGlobe, Alter Equity, JamJar Investments, Founder Collective, Third Sphere, True Global
Tech stack
Framer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle WorkspaceHstsHttp/3
#7
Seed · Oxford, England · founded 2021$10.3Mraised▾
Seed · Oxford, England · founded 2021
Developer of nanoscale materials for catalysis in green fuel production. The company transforms common metals into high-performing nanomaterials. These materials serve as substitutes for platinum-group metals. The company's nanocatalysts are intended for use in clean energy solutions.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 3k LinkedIn followers
Hiring: 4 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum -2 · hiring: Founder Associate, Laboratory Technician
Activity: 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Seed$10.3M
Founders & team
Investors
Hoxton Ventures, LQD VC, Übermorgen Ventures, MD One Ventures, EQT, Lowercarbon
#8
Seed · London, England · founded 2020 · 2 employees$1.4Mraised▾
Seed · London, England · founded 2020 · 2 employees
Developer of advanced materials for widespread applications and waste stream recovery. They design new technologies and use innovative methods to create advanced nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are sustainable and cost-effective. The company focuses on developing advanced materials and thin films, such as metal oxide particles. They enable improvement of existing products and development of new ones.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 22how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 34%Talent
top 38%Innovation
top 43%Funding
top 49%Moat
bottom 49%Global
bottom 42%Patents: 12 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 9 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Innovation: 12 patents (top 64% of patent-holders) · 9 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Senior Chemical Engineer (OIS® Process)
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. Creative Destruction Lab — Milan (Manufacturing stream)) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Feb 2026Seed$3.3M
- Jan 2023Seed$1.3M
- Jan 2023Seed$100.1K
Founders & team
Investors
TSP Ventures, Anglo American, Imperial College London, SNØCAP, Circular Innovation Fund, EIT RawMaterials
#9
Series E · Macclesfield, England · founded 2011 · 31 employees$43.2Mraised▾
Series E · Macclesfield, England · founded 2011 · 31 employees
Developer of technology that transforms carbon dioxide into valuable raw materials. The technology licenses a process using a unique catalyst to replace fossil-based materials. This process enables manufacturers to create polyols and surfactants for various consumer products. The technology can be incorporated into existing supply chains. It offers an energy-efficient and cost-competitive alternative.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 29%Moat
top 37%Talent
top 38%Tech
bottom 45%Growth
bottom 44%Global
bottom 42%Funding: Raised $43.2M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 14 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series E (Oct 2024)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 6 patents · 8 curated direct competitors tracked
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers — 5.1% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Series E—
- Aug 2022Series D$12.6M
- Apr 2022Series D—
- Nov 2020Series C$4.2M
Founders & team
Investors
CM Venture, GC Ventures, ING Bank, Imperial Innovations, Woodford Investment Management, Jetstream Capital
Tech stack
AosCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyesFont AwesomeGoogle Analytics
#10
Series A · Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland · founded 2012 · 19 employees$12.8Mraised▾
Series A · Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland · founded 2012 · 19 employees
Provider of carbon capture technology solutions. It uses energy-efficient filtration machines that make carbon capture commercially viable and pave the path for zero carbon emissions in industry. It utilizes solid sorbent materials and operates via vacuum swing adsorption gas separation technology.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 24how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 33%Talent
top 38%Moat
top 47%Patents
bottom 45%Global
bottom 42%Innovation
bottom 39%Funding: Raised $12.8M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 14 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (Apr 2025)
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 3/10 · IP moat: 9 patents · 10 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding rounds
- 2025Grant (prize money)$2.6M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$2.7M
- Jul 2023Series A$4.4M
- 2023Grant (prize money)$3.9M
Founders & team
Investors
Europa, Clean Growth Fund, Barclays, Ukri, Gov, BGF
Tech stack
DiviGodaddyGoogle Font ApiHttp/3HubspotLitespeed Cache
#11
Seed · Sedgefield, England · founded 2015 · 7 employees$2Mraised▾
Seed · Sedgefield, England · founded 2015 · 7 employees
aXenic offers design, development, and production of optical modulators for communications and sensing based on gallium arsenide. It uses GaAs Mach Zehnder Modulator Technology. The product portfolio of the company includes aXMD2150 broadband optical modulator, aXSD2050 GaAs IQ Modulator, aXMD2030-40 GHz Mach Zehnder, aXSD2125-40 Gbit/sec IQ, aXPD1332-100 Gbit/sec, and aXPD2340-400 Gbit/sec dual polarisation IQ Modulator.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 490 LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Seed$673.5K
- Nov 2020Grant (prize money)$413.5K
- Jul 2020Grant (prize money)$457.1K
- Jan 2020Grant (prize money)$433.9K
Founders & team
Investors
Europa, Maven Capital Partners, Seraphim, Generation Space, AUCCEPT
Tech stack
Godaddy Website BuilderPwaOpen Graph
#12
Series A · London, England · founded 2015 · 16 employees$25.8Mraised▾
Series A · London, England · founded 2015 · 16 employees
Provider of water treatment solution. It provides adsorbents to remove pollutants from contaminated water and wastewater. It provides solutions to specifically remove PFAS from water. The technology allows for the synthesis of high-capacity advanced materials. It offers Puratech, a customisable plug-in solution that can be fit into any existing water treatment system saving time and costs.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 27%Talent
top 28%Patents
top 32%Moat
top 32%Innovation
top 33%Global
bottom 42%Funding: Raised $25.8M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 9 yrs (1.2/yr) · Last round Series A (Sep 2024)
Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Patents: 30 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 23 filings since 2022 vs 7 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Audience (LinkedIn): 6k LinkedIn followers — 2.6% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Sep 2024Series A$8.8M
- Sep 2023Grant (prize money)$872.3K
- Sep 2023Series A$13.9M
- Apr 2022Grant (prize money)$2M
Founders & team
Investors
Ukri, Armourers' Hall, Octopus Ventures, Kindred Capital, HG Ventures, Verve Ventures
Funding & investor landscape
$714.3Mtotal disclosed funding
80companies funded
271disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Gov13 rounds
Notable founders
David Fairen-Jimenez
Co-Founder & CSO · Immaterial
Mohammed Khan
Chief Executive Officer · Immaterial
Marc Garcia
Co-Founder & CTO · Xampla
Tuomas Knowles
Co-Founder · Xampla
Yudi Ding
Co-Founder & CEO · PACT
Ian Jenks
Chairman and CEO · SmartKem
Insiya Jafferjee
Co-Founder & CEO · Shellworks
Amir Afshar
Co-Founder · Shellworks
Assia Kasdi
Founder & CEO · Milvus Advanced
Jason Hallett
Co-Founder · Nanomox
Francisco Malaret
Founder & CEO · Nanomox
Charlotte Williams
Co-Founder · Econic Technologies
Prism market signals · United Kingdom · country-scoped Prism corpus, 1,780,393 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Advanced Materials coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH SIGNALS · United Kingdom
How research on Advanced Materials is moving in the United Kingdom
A read on the academic research around Advanced Materials — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 352 United Kingdom-affiliated papers.
research sentiment over time
200920192026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and intensifying — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 56% → 89% across 2009–2026.
top research entities
- University of Bristol26
- Imperial College London26
- University of Cambridge18
- Nottingham Trent University17
- University of Southampton14
leading researchers
Mahdi Bodaghi · Jonathan Rossiter · Fabrizio Scarpa · Mokarram Hossain · Ali Zolfagharian · Eugene M. Terentjev · Kai Cheng · Luquan Ren
▲
Breakthroughs120 · 34%
▲ 22%→39% share
▲1.8× share momentum8 median citations62% since 2021mostly methods-led
Smart-material and actuator research is surging — UK papers rose from 5→17 and 3→15 respectively, with composite materials jumping 1→12.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Actuator3→15
- Smart material5→17
- Composite material1→12
- Soft robotics1→7
- Elastomer3→9
Newly emergingStiffness 0→5
Landmark Multiresponsive Graphene‐Aerogel‐Directed Phase‐Change Smart Fibers · 457 cites
◆
Advancements137 · 39%
▼ 47%→35% share
▼0.7× share momentum6 median citations49% since 2021mostly methods-led
3D-printing research is intensifying — UK advanced-materials papers tripled from 2→9, alongside newly emerging polymer and sustainability sub-topics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- 3D printing2→9
- Composite material6→11
- Shape-memory polymer2→7
- Structural engineering1→4
- Composite number1→4
Newly emergingPolymer 0→5 · Soft materials 0→5 · Sustainability 0→5
Landmark Applying low-molecular weight supramolecular gelators in an environmental setting – self-assembled gels as smart materia · 737 cites
▼
Concerns29 · 8%
▲ 4%→9% share
▲2.2× share momentum12 median citations62% since 2021mostly reviews
Smart-material concern papers nearly tripled (3→8) and nanotechnology quadrupled (1→4) as concern field-share doubled to 9%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Smart material3→8
- Nanotechnology1→4
Landmark Smart Sensing Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Civil Engineering Structures · 149 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United Kingdom
Where advanced materials is researched across United Kingdom
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
London66 · +0.57
Bristol28 · +0.48
Cambridge18 · +0.68
Glasgow15 · +0.63
Manchester11 · +0.52
Oxford10 · +0.21
Edinburgh10 · +0.44
Birmingham6 · +0.68
PATENT SIGNAL · United Kingdom
Who's filing advanced materials patents in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom advanced materials patent filing is cooling — 6,927 filings from 5,682 assignees (2016–2025), led by Johnson Matthey, Nanoco Technologies, Rolls Royce; annual filings 741→538.
6,927 filings5,682 assigneespeak 795/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
- Johnson Matthey495
- Nanoco Technologies469
- Rolls Royce452
- Cambridge Entpr267
- Element SIX UK259
- Halliburton Energy SERV204
- BPB194
- IBM171
Common questions
How many Advanced Materials companies are there in United Kingdom?
Radar tracks 167 indexable Advanced Materials companies headquartered in United Kingdom that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom?
The Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom on this list have raised a combined $714.3M in disclosed equity funding across 80 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Advanced Materials company in United Kingdom?
Polymateria is the highest-funded Advanced Materials company in United Kingdom, with $79.4M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom are funded?
80 of the 167 Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Advanced Materials unicorns are there in United Kingdom?
None of the Advanced Materials companies in United Kingdom on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in United Kingdom Advanced Materials companies?
The most active investors in United Kingdom Advanced Materials companies on this list include Europa, Undaunted, Gov, EIC Fund, Ukri.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.