OSSTEC raises £2.5M to launch innovative cementless joint replacement technology

OSSTEC, a London-based medtech startup, has raised £2.5M to bring its pioneering 3D-printed joint implants to market. The round was led by specialist DeepTech investor Empirical Ventures, with further investment opportunities still open due to strong demand. Founded on a decade of research at Imperial College London, OSSTEC’s technology mimics cartilage and bone structures to create less invasive, bone-growing knee implants—designed in collaboration with leading orthopaedic surgeons to improve outcomes and reduce revision surgeries, particularly among younger osteoarthritis patients.

With over 1.3 million knee replacements performed globally each year, and a growing shift toward outpatient procedures, OSSTEC’s cementless implants aim to tackle rising healthcare demands while enhancing patient care. The company’s breakthrough 3D-printing technology enables more efficient manufacturing and longer-lasting results, eliminating common failure mechanisms seen in traditional cemented implants. Clinical advantages include improved surgical workflows, implant survival rates, and reduced risk of complications—benefiting both patients and overburdened healthcare systems.

Untamed Raises £10M Series B Fund from Leading Global Foodtech Investors

Untamed, the pantry fresh, human-grade cat food brand, has raised £10M in Series B funding to accelerate growth and international expansion. The direct-to-consumer subscription service currently delivers high-protein, human-grade meals to 80,000 cats across the UK each month. With no grains, fillers or nasties, Untamed’s fuss-free meals are designed to appeal to even the pickiest of felines. The round was led by New York-based Coefficient Capital—whose portfolio includes Nom Nom and Oatly—with follow-on support from Five Seasons Ventures and Redrice.

Founded five years ago by Ben Spicer, Lenny Cordell and Marco Pacifici, Untamed was born out of a belief that cats should eat as nature intended—focusing on whole meat, protein-rich diets inspired by their wild ancestors. The UK alone is home to over 12.5 million pet cats, and the rapidly growing premium pet food market across the UK and EU—worth more than £12B combined—presents a major opportunity for the brand. Since launch, Untamed has served more than 50 million meals, achieved B-Corp certification, and committed 1% of its revenue to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet.

Fresh dog food company Different Dog raises £10M to meet growing demand as dog ownership surpasses 13 million in the UK

Different Dog, a premium fresh dog food subscription service, has raised £10M in funding to accelerate its mission of transforming canine nutrition with real, hand-cooked meals. Founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Charlie and Alex Thurstan, the company delivers personalised, human-grade meals tailored to individual dogs’ needs and now feeds over 18,000 dogs across the UK. The investment will support expansion to a new state-of-the-art facility in Telford, dubbed the ‘dog capital of the UK’, and bolster its team and marketing efforts.

The funding round comes amid a surge in pet ownership, with 13 million dogs now living in UK households—3.2 million of which were adopted during the pandemic. With more pet owners demanding high-quality, nutritious alternatives to mass-produced kibble, Different Dog has capitalised on the shift toward premiumisation in the pet food market. The brand’s personalised subscription service, built around fresh, high-protein recipes and a user-friendly experience, has struck a chord with health-conscious owners.

Backed by strong customer loyalty and five consecutive years of revenue doubling, Different Dog has earned a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot and a 96% score on allaboutdogfood.com. James Connelly, founder of major shareholder Charlie Oscar Group, said the company is “leading the way in pet nutrition,” while co-founder Alex Thurstan added that the funding would help “change even more dogs’ lives” through better food and care.

Sagittal AI secures £1.7M to transform how software teams work with AI

Sagittal AI, a company redefining how artificial intelligence integrates into software development, has raised £1.7M in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Twin Path Ventures, with backing from SineWave Ventures, Fuel Ventures, Blue Lake VC, and Husayn Kassai, founder of Onfido and Quench AI. Unlike conventional AI tools that demand teams adjust their workflows, Sagittal’s approach is centred on AI that adapts to how humans already collaborate.

Its flagship product, Neo, acts more like a team member than a tool—working across the entire software development lifecycle and integrating seamlessly with existing project management systems. Instead of asking developers to copy and paste between platforms or change established practices, Neo allows them to assign tasks as they would to any colleague. The AI gathers context from documents, codebases, and team workflows to produce near-complete solutions—including tests and documentation—that are ready for refinement.

The platform is already being used by developer teams at Telefónica and other enterprise organisations, with pilot results showing dramatic productivity improvements. Co-founder and CEO Michael Smith believes that the future of AI in software lies not in replacing developers, but in helping teams work better together—freeing them from manual, repetitive tasks and enabling true delegation. With this new funding, Sagittal will expand Neo’s capabilities and continue its mission to make AI a collaborative asset in software teams worldwide.

Ryft secures £5.7M Series A to equip marketplaces and platforms with purpose-built online payment solutions

Ryft, a PSD2 and FCA-approved decentralised payments innovator, has raised £5.7M in Series A funding to help acquiring banks compete with industry giants like Stripe Connect and Adyen. The investment, led by EdenBase with participation from several VCs and strategic angel investors, aims to advance Ryft’s technology, enabling acquiring banks to efficiently process and manage payments at scale. Ryft’s solution, designed for marketplaces and platforms, allows businesses to split, hold, and process payments more affordably, reducing payment fees by up to 62% compared to existing providers.

Founded by Sadra Hosseini and Alex Mackenzie, Ryft was born out of the founders' frustration with the complexity and high costs of existing payment solutions. Ryft’s technology has already been adopted by over 1,500 businesses, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional payment facilitators. The platform also provides features such as delayed payments and escrow capabilities, enabling businesses to hold funds until specific conditions are met, giving them a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving commerce landscape.

With an FCA license and strategic partnerships with American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, Ryft has already seen impressive growth, becoming profitable just two and a half years after its launch. The company plans to use the new funding to accelerate its international expansion and enhance its payment solutions, aiming to support the growing demand for efficient, compliant payment systems in the modern marketplace and platform ecosystem.

TransFICC Secures £19.5M Series B Investment Led by Citadel Securities

TransFICC, a provider of low-latency connectivity and workflow services for Fixed Income and Derivatives markets, has secured £19.5M in Series B funding, bringing its total raised to $50M. The round was led by Citadel Securities, with participation from BlackFin Tech and existing investors. This new capital will support the company’s efforts to enhance its automated solutions and extend asset class coverage, addressing the growing demand for efficient trading systems in the Fixed Income sector.

Founded by Steve Toland, Judd Gaddie, and Tom McKee, TransFICC has built a robust infrastructure to help market makers overcome the challenges of increased market volumes and structural changes in the Fixed Income space. The company’s platform, TransACT, launched in 2024 to automate customer trading in Credit, is now expanding to cover Government Bonds, IRS, and Repo. By providing low-latency, automated solutions, TransFICC aims to reduce development costs and latency, enabling clients to connect quickly and cost-effectively to various venues and workflows.

TransFICC’s platform supports over 20 market participants and three exchange groups, with data centre hosting across North America, Europe, and Asia. The company’s mission is to make electronic trading more accessible and efficient for all Fixed Income market participants, with a focus on increasing automation and connectivity to meet the evolving demands of the market.

Maven clients invest £3.4M in logistics software business Podfather

Scientists behind unique laboratory gut model raise funds for further expansion

Newcastle-based Aelius Biotech, a UK biotech company offering a unique laboratory gut model for drug and food testing without animal use, has secured £750,000 in funding from the North East Venture Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures. The investment will support the company’s expansion into the US and European markets, alongside the completion of its new laboratory in Blandford Square, Newcastle. Aelius provides testing services to health, pharmaceutical, and functional food companies, including Huel, helping them de-risk product development and enhance formulations.

Aelius has developed the world’s first cell-compatible mucus, enabling its model to simulate all three stages of digestion, from the gut to absorption into the body. Unlike other models that focus on either the initial or final stages, Aelius’s approach offers a fully integrated system. This breakthrough technology is already attracting attention from a wide range of industries, including alternative protein and lab-grown meat manufacturers, as well as food clients seeking more accurate testing methods.

Founded in 2018 by Dr Peter Chater, Dr Matt Wilcox, and Professor Jeff Pearson, Aelius has rapidly grown, expanding its staff from five to 15 and doubling its revenue in 2024. Dr Chater, CEO of the company, highlighted that this latest funding will allow Aelius to accelerate its international growth, particularly in the US, as it continues to demonstrate the market demand for its innovative in vitro testing solutions.

SiSU Health secures £1.25M investment from Praetura Ventures to scale its highly accessible and impactful preventative health solutions

SiSU Health has raised £1.25M from Praetura Ventures to expand its digital health solutions across the UK and Europe. The funding will help the company grow its team and increase the reach of its self-service SiSU Health Stations, which conduct quick, digital health checks. These stations provide personalized insights on health risks such as high blood pressure and obesity, encouraging healthier lifestyle changes and reducing pressure on NHS services.

With the new investment, SiSU Health plans to grow its network of over 600 health stations by the end of 2026, located in workplaces, NHS sites, and community locations. The company aims to support underserved populations and deliver valuable health data to local authorities, the NHS, and employers to inform public health strategies. This move is expected to improve public health, productivity, and reduce long-term health conditions across the UK.

SiSU Health’s platform integrates with local health pathways, enabling healthcare professionals to access data and facilitate follow-up interventions. Its clients include major corporations like Aldi, Jaguar Land Rover, and The AA. With over one million health checks delivered, SiSU Health is positioning itself to play a key role in tackling health inequalities and supporting early detection of chronic conditions in the UK.

In other investment news

Operator-led DIG Ventures raises $100M to fund next generation of European software giants

DIG Ventures has successfully closed its first institutional fund, raising $100M to support Europe’s most impactful B2B SaaS, AI, and cloud infrastructure startups. The fund was launched by Ross Mason, the founder of MuleSoft, and Melissa Klinger, former UK sales lead at MuleSoft, with the aim of providing early-stage companies with hands-on guidance in scaling and executing their go-to-market strategies. DIG Ventures specializes in pre-seed and seed investments, with a focus on startups that often have little more than a pitch deck and a big idea.

The fund has already begun deploying capital into more than 15 startups, including Dash0, Nexos.ai, and PolyAPI, and aims to continue investing in European startups, with a particular interest in companies located in Israel and the US. Notable institutional LPs backing the fund include The Hillman Company, Sofina, and Grove Street, along with participation from European tech founders such as Datadog's Olivier Pomel and several MuleSoft executives. DIG’s operator-led approach has proven successful, with 80% of its portfolio companies raising follow-up funding within two years of initial investment.

Osney Capital launches oversubscribed £50M cyber security seed fund, to capitalise on UK's world-class cyber talent

Osney Capital, the UK’s first specialist cyber security seed fund, has announced the first close of its debut fund, which has exceeded its original target of £50 million. The fund has secured cornerstone investment from the British Business Bank and is accredited by the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF). Additional backing has come from institutional investors such as IronGate Capital Advisors and East X Ventures, as well as a group of exited UK cyber entrepreneurs and leaders from the cyber and national security sectors.

Led by Adam Cragg, Josh Walter, and Paul Wilkes, Osney Capital plans to invest in 30 UK-based cyber security startups at the pre-seed and seed stages, with investments ranging from £250K to £2.5M. The team has already made several early-stage investments in successful UK cyber companies like MindGard, Sitehop, RevEng.AI, and ESProfiler, which have attracted follow-on investments from major global venture firms. The fund aims to fill a gap in the market for specialist seed capital in the UK's growing cyber security sector, which is projected to reach £13.2B in revenue by 2025.

The fund’s launch is timely, given the increasing complexity of cyber threats and the rapid adoption of new technologies such as AI. Dame Fiona Murray, a leading voice in UK science and technology, highlighted the importance of investing in cyber security innovation to ensure national security and digital sovereignty. Osney Capital’s mission is to leverage the UK’s cyber security talent to build globally competitive companies and technologies.

Northern Gritstone secures £50M from leading institutional investors

Northern Gritstone has secured a further £50M from leading institutional investors, including Northern LGPS, Fulcrum Asset Management, and Aviva, boosting its total permanent capital to £362M. This latest fundraise builds on the firm’s £312M final close in 2023 and signals growing confidence in its mission to turn northern England’s scientific and technological innovation into world-class businesses. With £35M coming from Northern LGPS and £15M from new investors, the funding reinforces Northern Gritstone’s expanding influence and its role in driving regional economic growth. The appointment of Paddy Dowdall, Assistant Director of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, to the firm’s board as a Non-Executive Director further strengthens this alignment.

Since its launch in May 2022, Northern Gritstone has made 32 investments into early-stage life sciences and deeptech ventures, while also scaling up its venture-building platform, NG Innovation Services. This includes growth support, talent management, business services, and the NG Studios accelerator. The firm backs high-impact sectors such as AI, semiconductor manufacturing, healthtech, and gene therapies, drawing on research and spin-outs from the North’s leading universities. With continued backing from institutional capital, Northern Gritstone is poised to drive innovation, job creation, and productivity across the region, fulfilling its ambition to foster the global tech leaders of tomorrow.

In international investment news

BLNG AI raises $3M to bring generative AI to the jewellery industry

BLNG AI, a generative AI platform revolutionising the luxury jewellery industry, has secured $3M in seed funding to support its commercialisation and global expansion. The investment round was led by Speedinvest, with participation from Cove Fund, eSeed, and Focal. This funding will help scale the company’s team in Europe and the US while launching its subscription-based app to the broader jewellery industry. BLNG's AI-powered tools enable jewellery professionals to turn sketches into photorealistic designs and animated renderings within seconds, significantly cutting down the time and cost typically required for the design process.

BLNG’s innovative platform comes at a pivotal moment for the jewellery industry, as brands seek ways to distinguish themselves amid falling diamond prices and increasing AI adoption. With 78% of large luxury houses prioritising AI, BLNG addresses the industry’s demand for faster design cycles by offering tools that reduce content production costs by 50% and increase design speed by 100-fold. The platform includes BLNG DESIGN for instant design visualisation, BLNG STUDIO for high-fidelity marketing content, and BLNG RETAIL for personalised customer experiences that enhance conversion rates through interactive visualisations.

The company has already made a significant impact within the luxury sector, with global luxury houses using its technology in structured pilots. BLNG was recently awarded the LVMH Innovation Award at Viva Tech and recognised as one of Vogue Business’s "100 Innovators" for 2024. With over 4,000 brands, designers, and corporations on its waitlist for early access, BLNG is poised for rapid growth in the $482B global jewellery market, positioning itself as a leader in the technological transformation of the industry.

Damisa secures £2.25M pre-seed to build the fastest and most secure Stable-coin payment experience yet

Damisa, the next-generation payments platform co-founded by fintech entrepreneur Jordan Lawrence, has raised £2.25M in an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Fuel Ventures, with backing from EWOR, Greyhound Capital, Mark Ransford, and its first enterprise customer. The platform is designed to simplify global money movement and modernise escrow services for high-friction industries like logistics, real estate, travel, and education. With its first transactions set to go live this month and a full launch slated for July, Damisa is positioning itself as a key player in streamlining cross-border payments.

Led by a seasoned team with experience at Volt, Kraken, and Agoda, Damisa combines smart wallets and stablecoin infrastructure to reduce costs, improve speed, and increase transparency in international transactions. The funding will accelerate licensing, infrastructure, and go-to-market plans, with regulatory approvals already secured in Poland and an AFSL expected in Australia by mid-2025. Damisa aims to remove the friction and complexity that continues to plague cross-border transactions, offering a more secure, scalable, and efficient alternative to outdated financial systems.

Sipay, Europe's fastest-growing fintech, raises $78M Series B achieving a valuation in excess of $875M

Sipay, Turkey’s leading payment and embedded finance platform, has raised $78M in a Series B funding round, reaching a valuation exceeding $875M. The round was led by Elephant VC, with participation from Nik Storonsky’s QuantumLight VC firm. Since its profitable year in 2023, Sipay has seen a fivefold increase in revenue, reaching a $600 million run rate. This funding follows its $15 million Series A in June 2024, marking a significant milestone in the company’s rapid growth.

Founded in 2019, Sipay offers a unified platform for businesses and individuals, providing a comprehensive suite of financial services, including payment solutions, embedded finance, FX transactions, and digital wallets. With 6.3 million wallet users and 25,000 registered merchants in Turkey, Sipay is now focusing on international expansion, aiming to establish new partnerships in emerging markets. The platform has already facilitated 100 million transactions and collaborates with major partners like Visa, Mastercard, and Alibaba-owned Trendyol.

The new funding will enable Sipay to accelerate its growth outside of Turkey, particularly in cross-border payment solutions. Nezih Sipahioğlu, Founder and Global CEO, highlighted the company's mission to redefine the global payments ecosystem and bring financial freedom to businesses and individuals. Elephant VC's Peter Fallon emphasised the growing importance of seamless payment solutions in the global digital economy, positioning Sipay to drive international growth and trade.

Klara, the frontline skills management platform, raises £8.5M to accelerate European expansion

Klara, the French scaleup transforming frontline employee development, has secured £8.5M in a new funding round led by European growth investor Endeit Capital, marking the firm’s first investment in France. Side Capital and Ankaa Ventures also participated, backing Klara's mission to close the training gap for deskless workers. The investment follows a standout year of 175% growth for Klara in 2024, with plans to expand across Europe, strengthen its product offering, and grow its enterprise customer base, which already includes the likes of Safran, Carrefour, and Saint-Gobain.

In a global training market worth $401B, Klara is tackling a critical blind spot: 80% of the global workforce are frontline workers, yet they receive just 1% of enterprise tech spend. Klara’s platform empowers these employees—alongside managers and executives—to develop skills through a scalable, measurable approach to workplace-based learning. With proven results such as halving onboarding times, Klara is becoming the go-to solution for manufacturing, construction, and retail giants looking to boost operational performance through skills. "We’re building the skills development standard for the deskless workforce," said CEO and co-founder Nazim Chibane.