Mode Labs: £3M investment

"This investment will unlock access to precision chemical monitoring for anyone, anytime, anywhere".

Dr Dean James (CEO, Mode Labs)

Mode Labs is a spin-out company from the University of Oxford (Department of Materials and Department of Chemistry.  Professor Jason Smith, one part of the founding team, is shown left balancing a 3x3mm microcavity substrate on his finger), who have developed a new chemical sensing platform that will deliver plug-and-play laboratory measurement capabilities in the field (with over 10,000x increased sensitivity, 6x longer deployments and all at 10% of the cost of existing solutions).

Their patented platform technology can be expanded to measure almost any analyte in liquid, with applications across water quality monitoring, waste-water treatment, aquaculture and security markets.  Using technology originally designed for quantum computing, Mode Labs' technique uses 1,000x less chemical reagent and 400x less power than existing systems, enabling long-term deployment of robust miniaturised devices in even the most challenging of locations.

With tightening environmental regulations driving demand, Mode Labs has identified a key market opportunity in real-time water monitoring.  The Environment Act 2021 (s.82) mandates the installation of 40,000 multiparameter chemical sensors across England and Wales by 2035 (to monitor and provide immediate feedback on the chemical emissions of combined sewer overflows).  Globally, more than 1M sensors will be needed for each major pollutant.

Having successfully validated their proof-of-concept devices in both laboratory and field trials, this £3M investment will enable Mode Labs to scale its engineering team, productise the existing prototypes, and bring its first products to market - focusing initially on Total Phosphorus and Ammonia monitoring of rivers and streams.

"With low-cost plug-and-play devices we can deliver clear and concise measurement data where it is needed most.  Working with our customers, our mission is to protect the environment and human health by monitoring and reporting changes to our ecosystems in real-time, allowing for immediate intervention".

Dr Dean James

The funding round was led by Oxford Science Enterprises, in conjunction with the University of Oxford Investment Fund and Gk Goh Ventures.  The investment was facilitated by Mills & Reeve, providing expert legal, investment and IP advice alongside Oxford University Innovation (the University's technology transfer office).

As George Todd, Senior Associate at Oxford Social Enterprises says:

"Though critical across many industries, measurement of chemical parameters has historically required prohibitively high capital investment, a significant ongoing maintenance burden and complex technical training.  Mode Labs' unique approach will allow users to unlock the true value of real-time chemical data at a fraction of the cost".