Revolutionary University of Oxford scientific instrumentation spin out Refeyn receives £1 million equity investment
• University of Oxford Chemistry Department spin out company, Refeyn, has received a £1 million equity investment from Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund as part of a £2.55m round
• Refeyn has created a new technology application in protein mass measurement that could transform the discovery and production of new biopharma drugs
• Investment will be used to scale up the manufacture and distribution of current products and for New Product Development
Foresight Group LLP (“Foresight”) and WAE (“Williams”) are pleased to announce a £1 million equity investment into Refeyn Ltd (“Refeyn” or the “Company”). The investment was made by Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund as part of a £2.55m round alongside investments from Oxford Sciences Innovation and the University of Oxford.
Refeyn has its origins in the University of Oxford Chemistry Department and was founded to commercialise a new technology application in molecular mass measurement. The Company is developing a new generation of scientific instrumentation, which uses single molecule light scattering for the detection, imaging and accurate mass determination of biomolecules in solution. Its ‘mass photometry’ instrumentation offers the potential to transform the rapidly emerging biopharma sector and greatly improve the development and production of new biologic drugs.
The technology is designed specifically to be easy to use whilst maintaining the same level of accuracy as much more expensive technologies. As a result, protein research projects will be massively accelerated. The associated increase in productivity translates directly into cost savings and should lead to an acceleration in drug development.
In a short space of time the Company has grown to twelve employees, including senior commercial and engineering hires attracted by Refeyn’s innovative technology.
The investment will be used to scale up the manufacture and distribution of its current product portfolio and for the development of new products.
Andrew Bloxam, Senior Investment Manager, Foresight Group, commented: “Refeyn is a highly innovative business with a unique and potentially transformative technology. We have been greatly impressed with what the team has managed to achieve since launching just a few months ago and we are delighted to be involved in its growth and development over the coming years.”
Reflecting on the investment, Prof. Philipp Kukura, Founder and Director of Refeyn Ltd, commented: “We are delighted to have the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund on board. Foresight’s backing will be instrumental in enabling us to achieve our ambitious commercial goals, while the expertise of Williams in engineering and design will accelerate the maturation of our technology. It is this unique combination that makes the investment from the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund so valuable and exciting to us.”
Matthew Burke, Head of Technology Ventures, WAE, said: “This investment offers a very exciting opportunity to apply WAE’s product design and manufacturing expertise to help Refeyn scale rapidly. Our engineers and designers are already working with Refeyn to bring enhancements to its current range of products and we look forward to continuing to support the company as it brings its transformative technology to market.”
