K3Metrology raises GBP £2.75m in seed funding round
Thu, 14th May 2026
K3Metrology has raised £2.75 million in seed funding in a round led by UKI2S.
A spin-out from the National Physical Labouratory, the company develops measurement systems for large, complex components used in advanced manufacturing and aerospace. It has also moved to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in North Wales as it works towards commercial deployment.
UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital, invested £750,000. The Development Bank of Wales and Parkwalk Advisors each contributed £1 million.
The deal is UKI2S's largest single investment so far from its Knowledge Assets portfolio, which focuses on commercialising public sector research.
Manufacturers in aerospace and other precision industries often pause production to inspect large parts, using specialist equipment to measure individual points and carry out repeated calibration checks. Those stoppages can lengthen build schedules, raise costs and absorb engineering time.
K3Metrology's system is designed to measure multiple points continuously and in real time while assemblies are still being built. The aim is to identify alignment problems earlier, when they are less expensive and less disruptive to fix.
The underlying technology was developed over 15 years at the National Physical Labouratory and refined with industrial partners. The new funding will be used to expand the engineering team, support industrial trials and back early commercial deployments.
Chief Executive Mike Campbell outlined the company's plans after the fundraise.
"We are excited to secure this investment and to have the support of investors who understand both the technical challenge and the industrial opportunity. This funding gives us the platform to scale a technology born from the National Physical Labouratory and apply it directly to some of the most demanding manufacturing environments."
"This investment enables us to move faster, work more closely with industry and deliver a step-change in how large, complex structures are measured and built," said Campbell.
Factory focus
The business is targeting a longstanding problem in high-value manufacturing, where measurement is often treated as a separate inspection stage rather than part of the build itself. By moving checks into the assembly process, manufacturers could reduce downtime and cut rework caused by errors detected late in production.
That pitch aligns with broader efforts across UK manufacturing to digitise factories and improve output without increasing labour demands. Aerospace faces particular pressure because components are large, tolerances are tight and mistakes can be costly to correct once structures are further along the line.
UKI2S investment lead for Knowledge Assets, Sakura Holloway, described how the investor worked with the business before backing the round.
"K3Metrology is a strong example of what becomes possible when you identify the right opportunity within the UK's public knowledge base and invest the time to shape it into a credible, investable business. We identified this technology at the National Physical Labouratory and worked closely with the team over time to develop it to the point of investment readiness. That work is central to what UKI2S does in the Knowledge Assets space, and it is not something every investor is set up to do."
"We are backing K3Metrology with our largest Knowledge Assets cheque to date because we have high conviction in the founders, the technology and the solution it offers to relevant high-value sectors. This is exactly the kind of company the UKI2S Knowledge Assets portfolio was created to support."
"With early investment and long-term support, these technologies can be adopted on the factory floor, strengthening advanced manufacturing capability and delivering lasting global economic impact," said Holloway.
Public research
The deal also highlights the role of public research institutions in creating spin-outs aimed at industrial markets. The National Physical Labouratory, the UK's national metrology institute, has supported the work behind K3Metrology's system, while the Government Office for Technology Transfer has promoted the commercial use of public sector research.
NPL chief financial officer Penny Holt linked the company's progress to the wider challenge of turning publicly funded science into industrial use.
"K3 Metrology Ltd demonstrates how publicly funded science can translate into high-value industrial capability for the UK.
"This technology is transformative, with the potential to raise industrial productivity, strengthen UK manufacturing competitiveness and set new international standards in large-volume measurement. This seed investment marks an important step in translating 15 years of NPL research into real-world impact, and we're proud to support the K3M team as they take this capability to market," said Holt.
Dr Alison Campbell, Chief Executive of the Government Office for Technology Transfer, said: "Spinouts such as K3 Metrology show how investment in public sector research can be turned into products and services with real commercial value. This kind of innovation demonstrates how targeted investment and support for Knowledge Asset commercialisation leads to UK growth, strengthening industrial capability and delivering economic and societal benefit."