Penningtons Manches Cooper advises Matter Machine on spin-out and £4 million pre-series A funding round
Penningtons Manches Cooper has advised Matter Machine Technologies Limited (Matter Machine), an AI-driven materials discovery company spun out of the University of Liverpool, on its spin-out and £4 million pre-series A funding round. The oversubscribed investment was led by IP Group plc and supported by Northern Gritstone, alongside the University of Liverpool Enterprise Fund and a syndicate of leading investors including Norrsken Evolve, LYVA Labs and the Northern Universities Venture Fund managed by Parkwalk.
Founded as a spin-out from the University of Liverpool, Matter Machine develops AI-powered materials discovery technologies that combine materials chemistry, automated experimentation and machine learning to accelerate the identification and optimisation of next-generation materials.
The company is led by founder Professor Matt Rosseinsky OBE FRS and Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE, who serves as chief executive officer. Professor Rosseinsky is chair of inorganic chemistry at the University of Liverpool, and a leader in the field of materials discovery. Dr Sanghera, as co-founder and former CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, helped build Oxford Nanopore from inception to its London Stock Exchange listing and contributes extensive experience in scaling deep-tech businesses.
The funding will help accelerate the company’s mission to reduce the time and cost associated with developing novel materials and support innovation across industries including energy, sustainability and advanced manufacturing, helping to address significant technological and industrial challenges.
The company is headquartered at the University of Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory, a centre for advanced materials research and industrial collaboration.
The Penningtons Manches Cooper team was led by James Went, with IP/commercial partner Lisa Page advising on IP licensing and commercial matters, and supported by corporate senior associate Anoushka Gangji, employment senior associate Victoria Spires, and corporate tax senior associate Leonie Langley.
Gordon Sanghera said: “Matter Machine brings together exceptional scientific expertise, unique technology capabilities and a highly scalable commercial opportunity, and this funding round, with such an experienced investor group, provides strong backing for our vision and growth strategy. We greatly appreciated the support of the team at Penningtons Manches Cooper throughout the transaction, whose pragmatic and responsive advice helped us achieve a successful outcome.”
James Went, corporate partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper, commented: “We are delighted to have advised Matter Machine on their spin-out and funding round. The fantastic team and high potential of their technology demonstrates the strength of innovation emerging from the UK’s leading research institutions and highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in accelerating scientific and technological advances.”