Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. Our Fund closes on TODAY. Please follow the steps below to complete your application.

If you would like to continue receiving prospective investor communications from Empirical Ventures please stay subscribed to this Substack after today. In future communications we will share events, upcoming tranche information and general DeepTech commentary.

Contents

• How to invest in Tranche II

• Potential Investments for Tranche II

• Empirical Ventures Updates

(A) Sign Up to Our Investor Portal:

We onboard new investors using our Investor Portal.
To begin your application, use *Account Setup* and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off (if you have completed this process by COB TODAY you will be allowed to make a subscription tomorrow)

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Once Part (A) is complete, (B) Make a Fund Subscription:

If you have already set up your account on Empirical’s fund platform, please use this link to Login In.

Step 1: Navigate to Make a New Investment

Step 2: Professional Client Opt Up (if not completed)

In order to make a subscription to this fund you must elect to be treated as an Elective Professional Client;

(A) you have carried out transactions, in significant size, on the relevant market at an average frequency of 10 per quarter over the previous four quarters (B) the size of your financial instrument portfolio, defined as including cash deposits and financial instruments, exceeds EUR 500,000 (C) you work or have worked in the financial sector for at least one year in a professional position, which requires knowledge of the transactions or services envisaged (D) you do not meet two (or more) of the above criteria.

If you do tick option (D), you can still proceed with this opt up but must provide details about your personal background in the box provided as per the text below.

“Please outline your experience making investments like those you plan to make on this platform. Please detail two or more relevant transactions you have completed in the past. Include your professional expertise (including years of experience) and qualifications that may be relevant. Overall, write at least 2-3 sentences, and include a link to your LinkedIn profile, to avoid additional follow-up being needed.”

Click accept once completed.

Step 3: Select the appropriate Fund tranche

Fund 2 (Early Bird) - For investors who created accounts before the 28th Feb 2025

Fund 2 (Standard) - For investors who created accounts after the 28th Feb 2025

Step 4: When you are on the link the default amount in the subscription box is set at the minimum of £25,000.00. Please change this and enter your total subscription for this tranche.

If your Subscription amount is over £50,000, you are eligible for quarterly capital calls, with Capital Call 1 (25% of your total subscription) transferred by the 31st of March.

Tick the boxes to confirm your agreement to EV's Investment Documentation, click on the individual links to download the documentation (Offering Document - Information Memorandum, Key Information Document and Investor Agreement and Further's T&C's).

Step 5: Finish Application

You will then be asked to transfer your commitment to the client account administered by the custodian Bennett Brooks & Co. If you are doing quarterly capital calls, only 25% of your investment amount will need to be transferred at this time.

Please use the payment reference provided in Further. Click on payment pending on the home screen to access the client account details.

Payments must be completed by 31st of March.

Step 6: Transfer Complete (Email)

Please send us an email when you have transferred funds and we can confirm receipt via Bennett Brooks.

Spotlight on Deals for Tranche II ⚛️

Ensilitech - EnsiliTech has won the Technology category at the Bristol Life Awards 2025!

“EnsiliTech’s groundbreaking innovation in vaccine stability plus strategic contracts and global recognition is set to reform healthcare and sustainability for future generations. Remarkable!”

With this endorsement from the judges, we’re absolutely thrilled to share that EnsiliTech has won the Technology category at the Bristol Life Awards 2025!
This award highlights the groundbreaking potential of their Ensilication® technology, capable of revolutionising the storage and transportation of critical medicines. By removing the need for constant refrigeration, Ensilication is especially crucial for low- and middle-income countries, where access to reliable cold storage – and the many medicines that need it - is often limited.

Our GP Dr Johnathan Matlock launches SEIS Campaign in The Times

Changing funding rules would be ‘rocket fuel’ for tech start-ups - Venture capitalist calls for a shake-up of the seed enterprise investment scheme to allow up to £1m of fundraising for new science companies

Johnathan Matlock, the co-founder of Empirical Ventures, has said increasing the allowance under the seed enterprise investment scheme (SEIS) to £1 million from £250,000 would add “rocket fuel” to growing technology and science start-ups in the UK.

He is also lobbying for an increase in the personal SEIS allowance for individual investors from the current cap of £200,000 to £500,000 a year. Both the changes he is suggesting would apply exclusively to “knowledge-intensive companies”, which are defined as carrying out research, development or innovation and employ highly skilled and educated workers. His firm backs businesses in “deep tech” such as advanced materials, quantum computing, semiconductor technology and robotics.

Read the full article here

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Final Deadline for Tranche II is the March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

*Begin Application*

All the best,

Empirical Ventures Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. We only have 7 days until the fund closes. We have begun onboarding investors into S/EIS Tranche II. Please follow the steps below to complete your application.

Contents

• How to invest in Tranche II

• Potential Investments for Tranche II

• Empirical Ventures Portfolio Highlights

(A) Sign Up to Our Investor Portal:

We onboard new investors using our Investor Portal.
To begin your application, use *Account Setup* and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Once Part (A) is complete, (B) Make a Fund Subscription:

If you have already set up your account on Empirical’s fund platform, please use this link to Login In.

Step 1: Navigate to Make a New Investment

Step 2: Professional Client Opt Up (if not completed)

In order to make a subscription to this fund you must elect to be treated as an Elective Professional Client;

(A) you have carried out transactions, in significant size, on the relevant market at an average frequency of 10 per quarter over the previous four quarters (B) the size of your financial instrument portfolio, defined as including cash deposits and financial instruments, exceeds EUR 500,000 (C) you work or have worked in the financial sector for at least one year in a professional position, which requires knowledge of the transactions or services envisaged (D) you do not meet two (or more) of the above criteria.

If you do tick option (D), you can still proceed with this opt up but must provide details about your personal background in the box provided as per the text below.

“Please outline your experience making investments like those you plan to make on this platform. Please detail two or more relevant transactions you have completed in the past. Include your professional expertise (including years of experience) and qualifications that may be relevant. Overall, write at least 2-3 sentences, and include a link to your LinkedIn profile, to avoid additional follow-up being needed.”

Click accept once completed.

Step 3: Select the appropriate Fund tranche

Fund 2 (Early Bird) - For investors who created accounts before the 28th Feb 2025

Fund 2 (Standard) - For investors who created accounts after the 28th Feb 2025

Step 4: When you are on the link the default amount in the subscription box is set at the minimum of £25,000.00. Please change this and enter your total subscription for this tranche.

If your Subscription amount is over £50,000, you are eligible for quarterly capital calls, with Capital Call 1 (25% of your total subscription) transferred by the 31st of March.

Tick the boxes to confirm your agreement to EV's Investment Documentation, click on the individual links to download the documentation (Offering Document - Information Memorandum, Key Information Document and Investor Agreement and Further's T&C's).

Step 5: Finish Application

You will then be asked to transfer your commitment to the client account administered by the custodian Bennett Brooks & Co. If you are doing quarterly capital calls, only 25% of your investment amount will need to be transferred at this time.

Please use the payment reference provided in Further. Click on payment pending on the home screen to access the client account details.

Payments must be completed by 31st of March.

Step 6: Transfer Complete (Email)

Please send us an email when you have transferred funds and we can confirm receipt via Bennett Brooks.

Spotlight on Deals for Tranche II ⚛️

Delta G - Delta.g - Portable quantum gravity gradiometry sensor to map underground features

Headlining our first Tranche II S/EIS investments is Delta.g, a University of Birmingham spin-out that has successfully brought a quantum gravity gradiometer sensor out of the lab and into the field. Leveraging over a decade and £20m of atom interferometry research, Delta.g’s sensor enables high-precision, non-invasive underground detection, addressing critical data gaps that cost the UK £2.4b annually in utility strikes and inefficient surveying. Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of gravity, Delta.g’s technology has the potential to be applied across a wide range of industries, from construction and infrastructure to energy, utilities, and environmental monitoring.

Delta G were recently featured in an article in The Times - *link here*

Empirical Ventures will be co-investing in Delta.g’s £4.5m Seed round with a £350k (Fund + BBI) ticket to advance the development of the sensor towards a commercially deployable product, including autonomous deployment, integration of the software platform, and securing paid POCs.

Our GP Ben Miles speaks to Entrpreneur UK

From Lab to Launch: Scientists 'Cook Up' the Next Big Startup

For Dr. Ben Miles, founder of Empirical Ventures, a London based specialist venture capital (VC) and venture builder, the key to unlocking the next wave of deep tech innovation lies in bridging the gap between scientists and investors. With his extensive experience in both science and VC, Dr. Miles offers a unique perspective on the challenges facing this sector and the strategies needed to overcome them.

In a recent interview with Entrepreneur UK, he shares his thoughts on the current state of deep tech investment, the evolving role of scientists in entrepreneurship, and how programmes like Spin Up Science are shaping the future of innovation. Let's dive in.....

Read the full article here

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Final Deadline for Tranche II is the March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

*Begin Application*

All the best,

Empirical Ventures Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. We only have 13 days until the fund closes. We have begun onboarding investors into S/EIS Tranche II. Please follow the steps below to complete your application.

Contents

• How to invest in Tranche II

• Potential Investments for Tranche II

• Empirical Ventures Portfolio Highlights

(A) Sign Up to Our Investor Portal:

We onboard new investors using our Investor Portal.
To begin your application, use *Account Setup* and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Once Part (A) is complete, (B) Make a Fund Subscription:

If you have already set up your account on Empirical’s fund platform, please use this link to Login In.

Step 1: Navigate to Make a New Investment

Step 2: Professional Client Opt Up (if not completed)

In order to make a subscription to this fund you must elect to be treated as an Elective Professional Client;

(A) you have carried out transactions, in significant size, on the relevant market at an average frequency of 10 per quarter over the previous four quarters (B) the size of your financial instrument portfolio, defined as including cash deposits and financial instruments, exceeds EUR 500,000 (C) you work or have worked in the financial sector for at least one year in a professional position, which requires knowledge of the transactions or services envisaged (D) you do not meet two (or more) of the above criteria.

If you do tick option (D), you can still proceed with this opt up but must provide details about your personal background in the box provided as per the text below.

“Please outline your experience making investments like those you plan to make on this platform. Please detail two or more relevant transactions you have completed in the past. Include your professional expertise (including years of experience) and qualifications that may be relevant. Overall, write at least 2-3 sentences, and include a link to your LinkedIn profile, to avoid additional follow-up being needed.”

Click accept once completed.

Step 3: Select the appropriate Fund tranche

Fund 2 (Early Bird) - For investors who created accounts before the 28th Feb 2025

Fund 2 (Standard) - For investors who created accounts after the 28th Feb 2025

Step 4: When you are on the link the default amount in the subscription box is set at the minimum of £25,000.00. Please change this and enter your total subscription for this tranche.

If your Subscription amount is over £50,000, you are eligible for quarterly capital calls, with Capital Call 1 (25% of your total subscription) transferred by the 31st of March.

Tick the boxes to confirm your agreement to EV's Investment Documentation, click on the individual links to download the documentation (Offering Document - Information Memorandum, Key Information Document and Investor Agreement and Further's T&C's).

Step 5: Finish Application

You will then be asked to transfer your commitment to the client account administered by the custodian Bennett Brooks & Co. If you are doing quarterly capital calls, only 25% of your investment amount will need to be transferred at this time.

Please use the payment reference provided in Further. Click on payment pending on the home screen to access the client account details.

Payments must be completed by 31st of March.

Step 6: Transfer Complete (Email)

Please send us an email when you have transferred funds and we can confirm receipt via Bennett Brooks.

Potential Deals for Tranche II ⚛️

We have 4 exciting deals lined up as potential investments from Tranche II;

Deal #1 - Nuclear Turbines

For Tranche II investors, we’ve secured exclusive access to a spin-out venture from a world-leading global aerospace and defence giant.

Aligned to recent UK initiatives to deploy greater nuclear capacity into the UK, the team currently in stealth are developing a cutting-edge small modular nuclear reactor with the potential to reshape the energy sector.

Sourced through our venture studio, we are positioning to lead this deal with full SEIS allocation available to EV investors who invest in Tranche II (pro rata your subscription amount as a percentage of the total fund size).

This deal is only available through our fund and will be an early investment from Tranche II.

Deal #2 - EnsiliTech

EnsiliTech remove the need for cold chain storage for vaccines by encasing them in silica. Since we invested in EnsiliTech’s pre seed round the company has been going from strength to strength.

Since launching last year they have already paid proof of concept work from 3 out of the worlds top 10 largest animal vaccine companies.

The first of their POC’s is now moving into full contract (a multiple million revenue opportunity for EnsiliTech). They also have a number of grants to develop human vaccines without cold chain storage. Ensilitech’s round is already oversubscribed with multiple VCs trying to enter this very competitive round.

Deal #3 - Delta G

Delta G is a DeepTech company leveraging gravity so that humankind can see the unseen. They have pioneered a powerful, quantum technology-based, gravity gradient capability, making it possible to successfully detect ‘buried’ features from their gravitational profile alone.

Delta G were also featured in the Times last week - *link here*

Deal #4 - CheMastery

For Tranche II investors, we’ve secured access to CheMastery, a breakthrough Entrepreneur First DeepTech startup that’s transforming the $1.6T biotech and pharma industries with AI-driven, fully automated chemistry.

99% of molecules are still made manually—slow, expensive, and error-prone. CheMastery’s robotics and machine learning technology automates chemical synthesis, cutting project costs by 5x, increasing speed by 60%, and unlocking a scalable, standardised approach to chemistry.

Already running at full capacity with multiple pharma and biotech customers, their first pilot was fully closed just two weeks after coming out of stealth—and they have a waiting list they can’t currently fulfil.

Empirical Ventures - Portfolio Update 🦾

Halo Therapeutics - announced as one of the winners of the Novo Nordisk Golden Ticket 2025 competition. This is an exceptional prize for Halo and provides significant mentoring and support from some of the world's leading scientific teams at Novo. This will help to guide the development of their latest assets and could significantly aid the development of the next blockbuster drugs for the obesity market. (Press Release)

Neuronostics - has been awarded £568,850 as winners of the SBRI Healthcare awards (press release). The BioEP platform uses routinely collected EEG recordings (as little as 15 minutes) gathered as part of the patient’s epilepsy diagnostic journey, and computationally analyses the EEG for the presence of data features and novel brain network-based markers. The analysis helps to differentiate between brain networks typical in people with and without epilepsy. This SBRI-funded project will validate an updated version of BioEP that works on EEG from children and young people.

Transdermal Diagnostics - has been awarded £799,935 as winners of the SBRI Healthcare awards (press release). Transdermal Diagnostics are pioneering a 100% needle free, non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring wearable for managing diabetes. This SBRI-funded project will explore the potential of the “skin-patch” monitor for children and young people living with Type 1 diabetes, laying the groundwork for the widespread adoption of this ground-breaking technology.

EnsiliTech® and technology innovation centre CPI have been awarded prestigious funding from Innovate UK as part of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D competition of £1.4M. This funding will support the development and implementation of EnsiliTech’s groundbreaking Ensilication® technology, which aims to eliminate cold-chain dependence in the manufacturing and supply of antibody-based treatments.

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Final Deadline for Tranche II is the March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

*Begin Application*

All the best,

Empirical Ventures Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

We are sending this update because our deadline for subscriptions during the Early Bird period will end TODAY 28th of February.

Complete before February 28th to secure 25% Early Bird Discount

Important: Completing Steps 1-5 DOES NOT commit you to the fund. But it does mean you can access the EarlyBird discount should you proceed to make a subscription before the hard close on the 31st of March.

How to Join Empirical’s S/EIS Tranche II

We onboard new investors using Further

To begin your application, use *this link* and click Create Account:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Important: Completing Steps 1-5 DOES NOT commit you to the fund. But it does mean you can access the EarlyBird discount should you proceed to make a subscription before the hard close on the 31st of March.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

Key Dates 🚨

25% Early Bird Discount - Deadline 28th Feb (15% Performance Fee)

2025/26 Tranche II Close - Deadline 31st Mar (20% Performance Fee)

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Early Bird deadline is February 28th and the final deadline is March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

All the best,

The EV Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. We have begun onboarding investors into S/EIS Tranche II. We are sending this update because our deadline for subscriptions during the Early Bird period will end on the 28th of February (5 days).

Complete before February 28th to secure 25% Early Bird Discount

How to Join Empirical’s S/EIS Tranche II

We onboard new investors using Further

To begin your application, use *this link* and click Create Account:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

Key Dates 🚨

25% Early Bird Discount - Deadline 28th Feb (15% Performance Fee)

2025/26 Tranche II Close - Deadline 31st Mar (20% Performance Fee)

Microsoft Collaboration ⚛️

Access is everything in deep tech investing. At Empirical Ventures, we have a unique advantage — Ben Miles’ YouTube channel. It’s not just a platform; it’s a direct line to frontier science.

Microsoft’s latest quantum breakthrough, the Majorana 1, is a case in point. Their CEO, Satya Nadella, personally watches Ben’s videos and told the PR team to reach out. That’s why Ben got an exclusive deep dive with Microsoft’s VP of Quantum.

The Majorana 1 is a major milestone for quantum computing. Unlike traditional qubits, which are incredibly fragile and prone to errors, Microsoft’s approach harnesses the exotic properties of Majorana quasi-particles to create more stable, scalable qubits. If successful, this could be the key to unlocking fault-tolerant quantum computing—bringing us closer to solving problems that are impossible for classical computers.

See Ben’s YouTube Short video on the Majorana 1 below and stay tuned for his deep dive video that will come out later next month.

Subscribe to Ben’s YouTube channel here.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

New Deals In Due Diligence 👻 - Potential Tranche 2 Investments

🦾 Neubond - Pitch Deck - Vibrational closed loop stroke rehabilitation device. Pre-Seed (£500k, £2.1M PMV, Full SEIS available)

• Problem: Rehabilitation for stroke patients is inefficient, with limited physiotherapy resources and poor patient engagement. Over 65% of patients do not receive the target therapy dose, resulting in prolonged recovery and high healthcare costs (£26 billion annually in the UK).

• What are they doing: Neubond, a spinout from Imperial College London, is developing an autonomous wearable, called LISA. The device delivers continuous therapy by detecting movement intentions and stimulating muscle activation. It integrates monitoring, guided exercises, and telehealth features to support rehabilitation both at home and in clinics.

• Why we like them:

  • TRL 5 pre-seed company that has a clear path to reach design freeze and the launch of their class I monitoring only device within the next year

  • The technology addresses a global problem with a scalable solution, validated through patient trials and partnerships

  • NIHR sponsored health techno-economic report suggests a £99 per patient saving by implementing the Neubond solution

• In due diligence, we will look to get conviction on the following concerns: the device’s ability to achieve the necessary dexterity and muscle activation precision, its fit within existing clinical pathways and adoption feasibility, and whether patient compliance will be sufficient to drive the projected recovery outcomes and NHS cost savings.

See below for a video from Reuters in Oct 2024 on Neubond and their device:

💧 NovNat - Pitch Deck - MOF-based atmospheric water harvesting system. Pre-Seed (£750k).

• Problem: Global water scarcity is worsening due to over-extraction from natural sources, with demand expected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030. Industries like data centres (DCs), which consume massive amounts of water for cooling, are exacerbating this crisis. Current atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technologies are energy-intensive and lack scalability, limiting their adoption.

• What are they doing: NovNat is developing scalable, energy-efficient AWH systems using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). These systems can extract water from air, even in arid conditions, and utilize low-grade waste heat for operation. NovNat's solution targets industrial sectors like data centres to reduce water usage without requiring existing infrastructure.

• Why we like them:

  • Experienced technical team with strong domain expertise in MOF design, having worked at Immaterial

  • Reported step-change in performance over existing MOFs

  • Early traction, including partnerships with HVAC OEMs and multiple pilots

  • Secured over £1m in grants and developed four unique MOF materials

• In due diligence, we will look to get conviction on the following concerns: There is a large design space for MOFs, with 100,000 different MOFs reported in the literature. New companies are using AI to identify new MOFs that could be competitive to NovNat. Additionally, adoption challenges may arise, particularly in convincing industries to invest in and integrate new infrastructure

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Early Bird deadline is February 28th and the final deadline is March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

All the best,

The EV Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. We have begun onboarding investors into S/EIS Tranche II. Please follow the steps below to complete your application.

🚀 Below, you’ll also find a sneak peek of an exciting deal completing early in Tranche II

Complete before February 28th to secure 25% Early Bird Discount

How to Join Empirical’s S/EIS Tranche II

We onboard new investors using Further
To begin your application, use *this link* and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Click here to start your application

Key Dates 🚨

25% Early Bird Discount - Deadline 28th Feb (15% Performance Fee)

2025/26 Tranche II Close - Deadline 31st Mar (20% Performance Fee)

Our Latest Events

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the Enterprise 100 Ltd — one of London’s top professional angel networks, in partnership with London Business School and Curation Collective, a community of financial market experts.

We were excited to present Empirical Ventures S/EIS Fund II to two groups of seasoned investors, diving into discussions on what makes a high-potential startup and where the next major market trends might emerge.

Subscribe to this Substack to hear about other Empirical events in the future.

Our GP featured in The Times

Did you know PhDs have a higher probability of raising £1 million at a start-up company than they do getting an academic position?

While challenges remain for scientists looking to launch a company in the UK, the skills that make a good entrepreneur are the same as those that make a great researcher: the ability to navigate something that has never been done before.

Our co-founder Dr Ben Miles, Ph.D. spoke to Richard Tyler at The Times about what he’s learnt from training scientists to lead their own successful spinout companies and what’s needed to allow more scientists to take their ideas beyond the walls of universities.

He discusses his journey from PhD physicist to joining Bristol-based startup Ziylo, which went on to be the largest acquisition of a spinout company in UK history. Ben also describes how his work with Empirical Ventures has helped more than 4,500 PhDs become the entrepreneurs we desperately need here in the UK.

Read the full interview via The Times:
https://lnkd.in/e8AyRXNg

Sneak Peek into an Exciting Deal for Tranche II ⚛️

For Tranche II investors, we’ve secured exclusive access the first spin-out venture from a world-leading global aerospace and defence giant. 🚀

Aligned to recent UK initiatives to deploy greater nuclear capacity into the UK, the team currently in stealth are developing a cutting-edge small modular nuclear reactor with the potential to reshape the energy sector.

Sourced through our venture studio, we are positioning to lead this deal with full SEIS allocation available to EV investors.

We have pre-warmed the venture with other co-investors, and have indications from investors such as Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s venture capital firm and other key opinion leaders in the space.

This deal is only available through our fund and will be an early investment from Tranche II.

Click here to start your application

Recap of Tranche I 🦾

We have successfully deployed 75% of capital (~20% SEIS, ~80% EIS). With £780k left to deploy, we are on track to fully deploy before the end of the tax year, with 3 deals that are all in the final stages of completion.

The Empirical Ventures S/EIS Tranche I Portfolio (11 companies)

• Neuronostics - Faster diagnosis from EEG - Seed (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Transdermal Diagnostics - Non-invasive glucose sensing - Seed (Life Sciences)

• Signapse - AI-driven text-to-sign language - Seed, (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Argonaute RNA - Temporary gene silencing - Seed+ (Life Sciences)

• MintNeuro - Chipsets for neural implants - Pre-seed (Deep Tech)

• Silveray - World’s first flexible, digital, X-ray film - Seed (Advanced Materials)

• Exciting Instruments - Pharmaceutical research platform - Seed (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Xgenera - Early detection of 12 types of cancer - Seed (Life Sciences)

• EMBARGOED - Series A (Advanced Materials)

• EMBARGOED - Pre-Seed (Life Sciences)

• EMBARGOED - Seed+ (Life Sciences)

The list above is provided to give investors in Tranche II a sense of the type of portfolio we will construct for them between April 25 and March 26.

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Early Bird deadline is February 28th and the Fund Close deadline is March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.

Click here to begin your application

All the best,

The EV Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.

Dear Investors 👋

Thank you for registering your interest in Empirical Ventures. We have begun onboarding investors into S/EIS Tranche II. Please follow the steps below to complete your application.

🚀 Below, you’ll also find a sneak peek of an exciting deal completing early in Tranche II

Complete before February 28th to secure 25% Early Bird Discount

How to Join Empirical’s S/EIS Tranche II

We onboard new investors using Further
To begin your application, use *this link* and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create an account on the Further platform with personal information (1 min)
Step 2: Select which type of investor (1 min)
Step 3: Appropriateness questionnaire (2 min)
Step 4: KYC check (5 min)
Step 5: FCA-required 24-hour cool off

Once you have completed Steps 1 - 5 (<10 min), we will be in touch via the platform to give you access to the Fund materials and you will have the ability to invest in the fund via the platform.

Click Here to Begin Your Application

Key Dates 🚨

25% Early Bird Discount - Deadline 28th Feb (15% Performance Fee)

2025/26 Tranche II Close - Deadline 31st Mar (20% Performance Fee)

Sneak Peek into an Exciting Deal for Tranche II ⚛️

For Tranche II investors, we’ve secured exclusive access the first spin-out venture from a world-leading global aerospace and defence giant. 🚀

Aligned to recent UK initiatives to deploy greater nuclear capacity into the UK, the team currently in stealth are developing a cutting-edge small modular nuclear reactor with the potential to reshape the energy sector.

Sourced through our venture studio, we are positioning to lead this deal with full SEIS allocation available to EV investors.

We have pre-warmed the venture with other co-investors, and have indications from investors such as Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s venture capital firm and other key opinion leaders in the space.

This deal is only available through our fund and will be an early investment from Tranche II.

Click here to start your application

Recap of Tranche I 🦾

We have successfully deployed 75% of capital (~20% SEIS, ~80% EIS). With £780k left to deploy, we are on track to fully deploy before the end of the tax year, with 3 deals that are all in the final stages of completion.

The Empirical Ventures S/EIS Tranche I Portfolio (11 companies)

• Neuronostics - Faster diagnosis from EEG - Seed (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Transdermal Diagnostics - Non-invasive glucose sensing - Seed (Life Sciences)

• Signapse - AI-driven text-to-sign language - Seed, (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Argonaute RNA - Temporary gene silencing - Seed+ (Life Sciences)

• MintNeuro - Chipsets for neural implants - Pre-seed (Deep Tech)

• Silveray - World’s first flexible, digital, X-ray film - Seed (Advanced Materials)

• Exciting Instruments - Pharmaceutical research platform - Seed (AI, Robotics, Automation)

• Xgenera - Early detection of 12 types of cancer - Seed (Life Sciences)

• EMBARGOED - Series A (Advanced Materials)

• EMBARGOED - Pre-Seed (Life Sciences)

• EMBARGOED - Seed+ (Life Sciences)

The list above is provided to give investors in Tranche II a sense of the type of portfolio we will construct for them between April 25 and March 26.

Final Reminder: Explore This Opportunity! 🚀

The Early Bird deadline is February 28th and the final deadline is March 31st.

Sign up to secure your spot.All the best,

Click Here to Begin Your Application

The EV Team

Capital at risk. For professional investors only.