Metaverse builder bags £26.5m

Hadean, a London-based start-up building the infrastructure behind metaverse experiences, has landed £26.5m (30m) in Series A funding. Molten Ventures led the round, with participation from 2150, Alumni Ventures, Aster Capital, Entrepreneur First and InQTel.

Hadean’s cloud platform enables its users to build scalable and secure immersive experiences in the metaverse, unlocking a library of tools for creators and developers.

Fintech provider banks £17.2m

SaaS provider Toqio has secured £17.2m in a Series A funding round led by Albion Capital.

London-based Toqio is a platform that makes it easier for institutions to embed fintech modules in a matter of days, encouraging organisations like banks to incorporate solutions rather than spend money creating their own.

Construction start-up given building blocks with £14.9m

A London-based start-up has raised £14.9m ($16m) for its platform that digitally represents current state of a construction project. VC 2150 led the round with participation from Northzone and Kindred.

Disperse’s platform provides construction project managers live construction insights so they can view and manage inefficiencies in real time.

Oxford spinout that diagnoses lung cancer early raises £13m

An Oxford medtech spinout that helps clinicians diagnose and treat early-stage lung cancer has raised £13m in Series A funding. Mercia led the Series A round, with additional backing from US VCs Intuitive Ventures and Black Opel Ventures.

Optellum uses AI and machine learning to identify at-risk patients and diagnose lung cancer at the earliest stages so it can be managed more effectively.

Medtech combatting medicine shortages gets £625,000 boost

A start-up combatting global medicine shortages has raised £625,000. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) provided the funding.

Iethico’s AI platform allows pharmacists to locate hard-to-obtain medicine by linking them with wholesalers worldwide. The platform then monitors where medicine shortages could occur.

Ground-breaking start-up unearths £500,000

A Northern Irish start-up offering a greener mining tool has raised £500,000. Co-Fund NI – an investment fund for Northern Irish start-ups – and Halo Business Angels Network (HBAN) co-led the round.

Rock Extraction’s rock mining tool limits the need for explosives in mining, making the industry greener and, the company says, more precise than existing hydraulic hammers.

Green motorcycle start-up moves up a gear with £300,000

A Northampton-based hybrid motorcycle start-up has secured £300,000 from the British Design Fund and angel investors.

White Motorcycle Concepts aims to improve the efficiency of motorcycles through improved aerodynamics and kinetic energy. The bikes are now being used by the Northamptonshire police force.

More Deals of the Week

Deals of the Week Sept 19 to Sept 23 – a Growth Business round-up

Deals of the Week Sept 12 to Sept 16 – a Growth Business round-up