Manchester-based firm PhovIR, which develops miniature, chip-based infrared sensors that identify the chemical composition of materials, has secured £4 million in a seed round to launch its miniaturized optical sensor and expand its team.
- PhovIR, a University of Manchester spinout based at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, develops a first-of-its-kind chip-based NIR-SWIR optical sensor that identifies the “optical fingerprint” of solids, liquids, and gases.
- Founded by Dr Tim Echtermeyer and Dr Steve Turley, with key engineering contributions from William Wren and Minh Vu, the company’s technology miniaturises a MOEMS Michelson interferometer onto a 4x4 mm chip, capturing a broad spectral range (1–2.6 µm) with a single InGaAs detector and delivering results in under 100 milliseconds.
- Fully software-reprogrammable, the sensor can detect current and emerging materials and integrates advanced data analytics for scalable, low-cost deployment.
- Designed for integration into portable devices such as smartphones and wearables, it enables applications across healthcare diagnostics, food quality control, agriculture monitoring, and environmental sensing.
Details of the deal
- The investment was led by SCVC, the venture capital arm of Science Creates, which specializes in supporting early-stage Deep Tech companies across the UK, and co-led by Northern Gritstone.
“PhovIR represents the future of Deep Tech: advanced hardware, unlocked by AI. It’s the kind of multi-tech breakthrough that creates entirely new categories — and the kind SCVC is here to back," claims John Williams, SCVC General Partner.
- With the fresh capital raised, the firm plans to launch its first commercial product, grow its team, and scale its MEMS-based NIR optical sensor technology for applications in healthcare, agriculture, food safety, and environmental monitoring.
“I am exhilarated to enter the next part of PhovIR’s journey and turn our vision into reality. I am grateful to the many people contributing and making this happen; particularly Steve, and William Wren and Minh Vu from the engineering team, who have worked relentlessly," explains Dr Tim Echtermeyer, CTO of PhovIR.
