PraeSeed has invested £200,000 each in eight selected startups from the North of England via NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance, taking its total funding to £3 million across 15 businesses since launch. The cohort was chosen from 12 early-stage companies that completed the summer programme, which offers workshops and mentoring on scaling, financial modelling, and fundraising.
Among the new investees are Lancaster University spin-out ADTechOptima, developing technology to improve energy yields from anaerobic digestion plants, and Future Greens, a Sheffield business enabling food and drinks manufacturers to convert waste into on-site energy through microdigesters.
Manchester-based Crediflow AI also received backing for its platform automating credit analysis and risk monitoring for banks and lenders. NeuWave Technologies, another Manchester company, combines AI and historical maritime data to help offshore operators assess travel safety conditions.
Further investment went to Feasibly, a Durham geospatial AI business assessing land suitability for solar development, and Respiosa, a Liverpool medical-device innovator creating a minimally invasive alternative to CPAP masks for treating sleep apnoea.
In Leeds, Auditsu secured investment for its regulatory-technology platform that audits app accessibility under new EU directives. The final investee, Revela — formerly Spotlight Health — is a Newcastle medtech company using AI-powered ultrasound analysis to shorten the diagnosis time for endometriosis, a condition affecting more than 190 million women globally.
Half of this year’s PraeSeed investee companies are female-founded, with the remaining 50 per cent BAME-founded. A quarter are pre-seed companies that first applied last year, returning with strengthened propositions and winning investment in 2025.
Jess Jackson, PraeSeed lead at PXN Ventures, said: “The second year of PraeSeed yet again surpassed all expectations in terms of the quality of businesses that took part. The companies that have received investment are those that we are backing as the next in the North. This investment reflects not only their commitment to the programme but our belief in the technology and solutions they’ve built, which span a diverse range of sectors from women’s health to green energy.”
Sue Barnard, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, added: “Early-stage investment is crucial in helping businesses scale and reach their full potential. That’s why NPIF II is committed to alleviating regional disparities, providing founders from across the North with the funding and expertise they need.”
The £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, managed by the British Business Bank, provides loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million for small and medium-sized businesses across the North of England. Its goal is to expand access to early-stage finance and strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem.
PraeSeed will return in March 2026, with applications opening early in the new year.
