Exciting Instruments, which is set to revolutionise health research through its pioneering single-molecule detection platform, has secured £4 million in seed funding. The investment came from Northern Gritstone, the investment company chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill, which invested in adsilico and Silveray.
Other investors in the round include Empirical Ventures, who led on scientific due diligence, NPIF II, Praetura Equity Finance (managed by Praetura Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II), and serial entrepreneurs Stan Boland and Jonathan Millner.
With the new funding, the company plans to further develop commercial partnerships, build its team, and evolve its products.
Simplifies single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy
Single-molecule microscopy is one of the most powerful tools for understanding disease and developing targeted therapies. However, it has often been limited by complex workflows and limited accessibility, restricting its use to select and specialist research environments.
Exciting Instruments was founded by Dr. Tim Craggs and Robert Bell as a University of Sheffield health tech spinout in 2021 to revolutionise single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy with its practical and efficient new platform. Its platform technology allows users to visualise and analyse individual molecules and their interactions. It also provides high throughput processing and automation of analytics, advancements that are critical for improved efficiency and productivity.
EI-FLEX: All you need to know
The company’s flagship product, EI-FLEX, is a compact, benchtop system designed for both seasoned scientists and new users. It makes advanced research tools more accessible. It is an affordable instrument capable of two-colour, single-molecule fluorescence detection in solution. The EI-FLEX is a versatile tool for studying protein conformations and bimolecular interactions. Now smFRET (Single-molecule FRET microscopy) and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) experiments are accessible at the benchtop without optical tables or dark rooms.
Redefines molecular analysis
By eliminating the need for complex workflows and specialised environments, EI-FLEX offers accessibility to researchers across the pharma, healthcare, and industrial sectors. Its real-time data visualisation, cloud connectivity, and high-throughput capabilities empower scientists to analyse protein dynamics and molecular interactions with unprecedented precision.
The platform’s automation and versatility streamline studies in biophysics and drug development, facilitating groundbreaking discoveries under physiologically relevant conditions. Exciting Instruments is transforming advanced molecular research into an accessible, efficient, and practical tool for global scientific innovation.
Key applications
Exciting Instruments facilitates advanced studies in biophysics and life sciences by enabling the exploration of protein and nucleic acid interactions and rapid conformational dynamics. Their tools support groundbreaking discoveries in drug development and diagnostics, offering precise analysis of molecular behaviours under physiologically relevant conditions.
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Northern Gritstone is delighted to support Exciting Instruments’ internationally renowned team from the University of Sheffield. Their technology will open up a broad range of health-related research and discovery and will also support job creation in Sheffield’s thriving tech cluster. I’m particularly pleased that the funding round for Exciting Instruments has been over-subscribed which is another validation of the quality of deep tech investment opportunities that exist within the Northern Triangle.”
Tim Craggs CEO and Rob Bell COO, Co-Founders of Exciting Instruments said: “Our vision at Exciting Instruments is to bring the power of single-molecule detection to every academic and pharma lab across the globe. We’re not just building technology—we’re creating a new era where single-molecule insights become the foundation for breakthroughs that will redefine what’s possible in human health.”
Stan Boland said: “Exciting Instruments has created compelling new products for a deep market need. Tim and Rob’s energy is incredible, and I’m thrilled to play a part in helping them turn their amazing technology into the powerhouse of a huge business that will accelerate the pace of disease detection and drug development for the benefit.”
