KVector Secures £3.8M To Develop Low-Power Alternative To Electronically Steered Antennas

KVector's patented approach is designed to be manufactured at scale through UK and European supply chains.

KVector, a University of Birmingham spin-out, has raised £3.8M to commercialise a beam-steered antenna designed to deliver the performance of a modern active electronically steered array without the electronics that make it heavy, expensive and power-hungry.

The company is currently operating in stealth - working with selected commercial partners in the radar and satellite communications sectors.

The round comes from Midlands Mindforge, the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIFII) through fund manager Mercia Ventures, the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital) and the University of Birmingham.

It includes £950,000 from Innovate UK through the Investment Partnerships programme, which provided grant funding alongside part of the equity investment.

This is a significant first round for a newly formed spin-out and a strong endorsement of both the technology and the team behind it. KVector demonstrates how long-term investment in fundamental research can create commercially valuable companies in strategically important sectors. It's also an example of what is increasingly possible in the Midlands: bringing together exceptional research, experienced entrepreneurs and committed investors to build the next generation of deep technology businesses. - David Coleman, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise

Today's Active Electronically Steered Arrays (AESAs) steer a beam using thousands of individually controlled electronic components. They work, but are expensive to develop and build, draw significant power and their weight rules out a long list of applications.

KVector's patented approach replaces that electronics stack with engineered metamaterial surfaces within a simple electro-mechanical architecture, improving RF transmission efficiency while cutting power draw, weight and complexity. Designed to be manufactured at scale through UK and European supply chains.

The technology can be tuned across a wide range of frequencies, which puts it in reach of any application where the antenna has until now been the limiting factor.

The UK has a long-standing strength in metamaterials research, including the work at the University of Birmingham behind KVector's antenna. The company was founded to turn that research into manufacturing capability in the UK.

The company was founded by Executive Chair Henry Nurser, former CEO of mmWave systems company Blu Wireless, with the University of Birmingham researchers who invented the technology: Dr James Churm and Professor Alexandros Feresidis, an internationally recognised expert in metamaterials-enabled antenna design.

The funds will be used for recruitment and to develop a range of radar and communications products in collaboration with KVector’s existing partners in the defence sector.

Henry Nurser, co-founder and Executive Chair of KVector, commented on the raise: "I’m excited to be working with Alex, James and our expanding team to realise the commercial potential of this technology, which could have a significant impact on the sensing and communications sector.

"We are deliberately saying little about our partners and applications at this stage due to the commercial sensitivity of the deals. What we can say is that this investment lets us accelerate development, deepen the work already under way, and build the foundations for a world-class company here in the UK."

David Baker, Portfolio Director, Mercia, said: "Until now, deployment of radar and satellite communications systems has been constrained by the size and weight of equipment and its power requirements. By overcoming these barriers, KVector's technology could position the UK at the forefront of wireless sensing and communications. We are pleased to work with our fellow investors to help support its growth."

"We are pleased to be working alongside our fellow investors to support the company's growth."

David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Midlands Engine Investment Fund II was established to support ambitious, innovative businesses across the Midlands, and this investment is a great example of the technology and expertise emerging from the region’s universities.

"As a University of Birmingham spinout, the business is developing technology in satellite communications systems that enables new approaches and applications at a significantly lower cost while eliminating national vulnerabilities in the electronics supply chain. We’re pleased to support the team as they take this technology towards commercialisation and the next stage of growth.”

Dr Daniel Carew, Midlands Mindforge, said: “Mindforge is delighted to back the talented KVector team and their strategically important breakthrough in RF systems.

KVector enables new approaches and applications at a significantly lower cost while eliminating national vulnerabilities in the electronics supply chain. The depth of interest in the company’s technology from the defense industry, both in the UK and internationally, has been astounding. We look forward to helping the team build a new category leader in this field.”

Thomas Storey, Investor at Future Planet Capital National (managing UKI2S) added, “Antennas are often the single biggest constraint on radar and communications systems. KVector's technology promises a genuine leap forward, redefining what radar and communications systems can do.

"This is a British invention, born out of a British university, and we're excited to help bring it to market. It's exactly the kind of ambitious technology we back here at UKI2S and Future Planet Capital."

David Coleman, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise said: "This is a significant first round for a newly formed spin-out and a strong endorsement of both the technology and the team behind it. KVector demonstrates how long-term investment in fundamental research can create commercially valuable companies in strategically important sectors.

“It's also an example of what is increasingly possible in the Midlands: bringing together exceptional research, experienced entrepreneurs and committed investors to build the next generation of deep technology businesses."