Northern Gritstone invests into Phlux Series A

Northern Gritstone, an original Phlux Technology Seed investor, joins Series A of the University of Sheffield’s pioneering semiconductor spinout.

Northern Gritstone has joined the £9 million Series A round in Phlux Technology, a pioneering designer and manufacturer of infrared sensor technology,

The new funding will accelerate Phlux’s expansion into optical communications and sensing industries by leveraging its world-first antimonide-based semiconductor technology to deliver faster, more energy-efficient sensor and connectivity systems.

Building on its world-leading research from the University of Sheffield, Phlux will use the investment to scale its team, ramp up production, and launch two new product ranges targeting optical communications and sensing systems.

Phlux’s ultra-low-noise infrared sensors are set to dramatically improve the performance of communications systems to enable up to 5x higher data rates for free-space and fibre-optic communication systems, enhancing global connectivity. Early engineering samples have shown sensitivity improvements of 5dB or more are realisable, compared to current commercial devices. Additionally, Phlux’s infrared sensors will play a crucial role in advanced sensing technologies that include driver-assisted safety features in vehicles, industrial automation, defence and security and high-precision gas sensing.

Since its £4 million seed round in 2022 - from investors Northern Gritstone, Octopus Ventures and Foresight - Phlux has built a global, fabless supply chain to address high volume markets and serve customers around the world. BGF joins the Series A round.

Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Infrared sensors are advancing many critical everyday areas such as providing internet access to people's homes and aiding advanced safety and mobility. Phlux is a fantastic example of semiconductor innovation in the North of England and Northern Gritstone is proud to continue supporting the Phlux team under Ben White’s leadership”

Ben White CEO of Phlux said: “This funding comes at a pivotal moment as demand for high-speed optical communication systems is growing enormously. By developing world-class, high-performance infrared sensors, we are enabling industries to push the boundaries of connectivity, efficiency, and security by removing a technology bottleneck that has persisted for over 20 years.”