Deep Tech

Opto Bio is developing miniaturised implants that are safe, effective, and minimally invasive. Opto believes that that the application of discreet, safe biological interfaces will enable remote and continuous neurological communication, changing the way we approach medicine by using the electrical language of the body. Advancing the frontiers of biological interfacing, Opto is using new electrical biomarkers that can be used to inform disease state in real time. Opto aims to improve patient outcomes and revolutionise precision treatment through their research, development, and clinical testing.

Number 8 bio is a synthetic biology company engineering microbes to eliminate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Our team of synthetic biologists is developing innovative microbial solutions capable of reducing ruminant methane emissions, saving money for our farmers, and saving our climate.

Co-founded in 2021 with Norco Dairy Cooperative, Main Sequence Ventures and CSIRO, Australian-based Eden Brew is on a critical mission to put delicious animal-free dairy at the forefront of global food sustainability. Through a sustainable brewing technique called precision fermentation, Eden Brew uses yeast to produce dairy proteins, creating the base for a range of great tasting dairy products made lactose and cholesterol free. Through developing the world-first animal-free casein micelle, the key ingredient that enables animal-free milk to emulate the sensory and nutritional experience of cow’s milk in a way plant-based milks cannot, Eden Brew is readying to launch new consumer brands featuring ice cream, milk and more that the whole family will love.

Aquila is transforming the way we think about energy, constructing a cutting-edge energy network based on the utilisation of light. By directing light beams at receivers integrated into power systems, they convert this energy into much-needed electricity. Aquila's revolutionary approach removes barriers to energy access, making power available wherever it's needed. This innovative wireless energy infrastructure lays the foundation for what they call the "internet of energy", which will pave the way for a sustainable future.

ToZero is introducing a sustainable process to recover critical materials from all types of Lithium-Ion Batteries. They will be the first in Europe capable of recovering all critical materials: Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese and Graphite. This will allow ToZero to take old batteries and reintroduce fresh raw commodity materials back into the supply chain.

Modern Synthesis is a biotech company bringing life to new materials. Their patent-pending process works with bacteria to produce an entirely new class of nanocellulose-based materials which offer performance without plastics and aesthetics without animal inputs. Not only does this allow them to create lower-impact, high-value alternatives that can displace animal and plastic-based textiles, but it also enables greater aesthetic variability for their customers. They’re not just a leather replacement, they’re unlocking novel aesthetics and new performance possibilities that reimagine what natural materials are capable of.

Kite Magnetics is an Australian-based aerospace start-up enabling emissions-free aircraft to fly further and carry more by producing the next generation of ultra-high-performance electric motors. Spun out from Monash University in 2022 and backed by Investible, Possible Ventures and Breakthrough Victoria, Kite’s products use a new nanocrystalline magnetic materials technology that has an energy loss ten times lower than traditional materials, giving their electric motors unmatched efficiency and power density potential. Their first product, a 120 kW electric motor for 2-4 seat electric training aircraft, marks the beginning of their journey to become a global leader in zero emissions aircraft engine production.

Automata aims to enable new opportunities for innovation through total workflow automation accessible to labs frustrated by the limitations of their own environment. Automata works with labs across the world to understand their specific workflows and needs, and develop personalised solutions that range from diagnostic, drug discovery to synthetic biology. This allows a simplification of common automation tasks, while also supporting more advanced paths for specialised workflows, in a fast, flexible, and cost-efficient way.

Antaris is a software-defined satellite platform that accelerates the design, build and management of satellites. The platform gives customers the flexibility and security to ensure mission success. The team brings “new space” thinking to an “old space” world, solving the most pressing challenges for the industry to improve time-to-orbit and reduce costs.

Mass Dynamics' cloud-based software is designed from the bottom up for all the stakeholders in the project workflow: biologists, chemists, mass spec. experts and scientific report writers. There are two core features behind this initial version: a 'compute' module to run the massive data processing workflow, and a 'sharing and collaboration' module for teams to share insights and communicate.

Gama Space is revolutionising deep space access with low-cost, reliable and scalable solar sails which could revitalise missions previously deemed too expensive or complex to launch. Solar Sails, giant mirrors in space, are accelerated continuously by reflecting photons from the sun, reducing size and expense dramatically due to the elimination of a need to carry fuel.

Xolography switches liquid resin in a vat, through the help of two intersecting light projections, into a cured object. It is fast, creates smooth surfaces, without the need for support structures, and works with viscous resins.

Orbem is advancing MRI technology to make it cheaper, faster and less complex, opening up a range of novel use cases. Their first use case is in the chicken market where their machines can non-invasively classify the sex of eggs before hatching. Beyond eggs, Orbem sees a range of use cases in the food, bio and healthcare sectors.

Innovative solid oxide fuel cells allow Reverion to provide 24/7 supply security, enable long-term seasonal storage and reduce megatons of CO2 emissions. This technology doubles electricity production through electrical efficiencies of 80% whilst also stabilising the power grid in electrolysis mode and producing renewable gases.

FLO Materials is commercializing a novel circular polymer platform called ECANs to enable the manufacturing and recycling of sustainable alternatives to high performance plastics, including thermosets and mixed material composites used in durable goods. The recycling can be performed at low temperature, low energy, in the absence of catalysts, and even in mixed waste streams without compromising quality and efficiency. FLO's technology unlocks the potential to create complex, multi-plastic products that can be manufactured easily and recycled into another product of equal or higher performance and value.

Available in on-premises and SaaS environments, Cognigy.AI automates customer and employee communications, enabling enterprises to have natural language conversations with their users on any channel – webchat, SMS, voice and mobile apps – and in any language.

Uluu’s products act like plastic but are made from seaweed, not fossil fuels. They’re strong, lightweight and waterproof, while being truly biodegradable and biocompatible. Uluu is naturally produced via fermentation. This process uses saltwater microbes fed with farmed seaweed—a regeneratively-grown feedstock that can be scaled to entirely replace the fossil fuels used to make 400 million tonnes of plastic each year, all while sequestering carbon and bioremediating our oceans. Uluu can be directly substituted for plastic in existing manufacturing equipment, including to produce fibres that can replace polyester in textiles.

Epoch is developing a computational approach to discover and optimise enzymes, which are natural machines that speed up chemical and biological processes. Several industrial and biomedical processes have found enzymes to be extremely valuable in speeding up reaction times, reducing energy requirements and enabling previously impossible reactions. Epoch will eventually develop and commercialise enzymes for several specific needs and use cases including accelerating plastic decomposition.

Space offers an incredible amount of untapped potential that's waiting to be explored. We believe harnessing space's potential can bring improvements to our lives back on Earth, far beyond space tourism. One exciting area is researching in microgravity. What makes research in space so exciting is that up there, nearly everything behaves differently. Yuri unlocks access to microgravity by providing purpose-built labs and factories in space. Yuri facilitates experiments in space to leverage the benefits of microgravity for biological processes such as drug discovery and tissue formation. We can't wait to follow along with Yuri's lift off.

Nanotechnology has for decades been heralded as one of the most promising areas of science and industry. As we increase our capacity to control materials at the nanoscale we will be able to take advantage of countless technological advances that will literally reshape our physical world and accelerate planetary sustainability. Yet until now, nanotechnology has massively underdelivered on its promise. VSPARTICLE, a spin-out of TU Delft in 2014, has over the past six years created a paradigm-changing platform that is a scalable source of nanoparticulate material with broad applicability for scientific, engineering and manufacturing applications. We're excited to watch the VSPARTICLE team forge ahead in this space.

At the heart of the drug discovery and development process lies an indisputable truth: companies can test for many compounds but, in order to advance to further stages, they need to be able to manufacture it. Molecule.One is an AI-driven chemist that predicts the best possible synthetic pathways for any desired compound. Their software platform, powered by state-of-the-art machine learning models, discovers the cheapest and easiest way to synthesize any given compound from commercially available molecules. We’re excited to support the team as they build the future of chemistry.

Every industry that is doing complex computation, simulation and optimization is bound by limited computing power. Quantum is computing’s next step. Quantum’s potential for impact is tremendous and we’re excited to support the Seeqc team as they build the future of quantum computing. Seeqc develops and commercializes superconducting quantum technologies for a variety of quantum information processing applications including scalable fault-tolerant quantum computers and simulators, quantum communications, and quantum sensors.

The world’s population is forecast to peak at 10.5 billion around 2050 and while the progress in renewables is encouraging, they cannot provide enough energy for humankind without an ongoing reliance on fossil fuels. In order to sustain economic growth and overcome climate change, the world needs to develop alternatives. We’re excited to back the Marvel Fusion team who’re building a reliable, commercially-viable nuclear fusion power plant. Marvel’s unique design has a genuine shot to get us to clean, safe, abundant power in the next decade to complement intermittent renewables on a pathway to a carbon-free energy grid.