Atomik AM secures £600k investment to scale sustainable materials technologies
Atomik AM, a UK-based advanced manufacturing start-up, has secured a £600k investment from the UK’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, managed by Praetura Ventures, to scale its sustainable materials technologies.
Founded by Professor Kate Black (FREng) in 2022, Atomik AM creates sustainable materials and patented technologies to support scalable and efficient advanced manufacturing. The company is working with companies including Unilever and Ricoh to transform manufacturing, as well as developing and patenting its own intellectual property.
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With the funding, Atomik AM is expected to grow its Liverpool-based team by 40% and explore larger premises, as it scales its operations.
“At Atomik AM, we believe that true innovation starts with putting materials and sustainability first,” explained Professor Black. “This investment will allow us to grow our team and scale our patented technologies, accelerating our ability to deliver cleaner, more efficient manufacturing solutions. From our base in Liverpool, we’re proud to lead this transformation and work with global partners to set a new benchmark for sustainable, materials-led innovation in advanced manufacturing.”
The company also produces inks for 2D sensor printing and specialist pastes used in electronic coatings. It has delivered solutions to help companies remove unnecessary resources, such as water, from their manufacturing processes. Atomik AM has also developed a sustainable process for turning aluminium metal waste into more durable products, with the excess waste from this process then recycled into energy, representing a more end-to-end approach to sustainability.
Atomik AM is currently in the process of patenting a series of new and innovative manufacturing products, including a universal binder for Binder Jetting metal Additive Manufacturing. Its universal binder is designed to work across multiple material systems, removing the need for unique formulations for different metal powders. This development could have major implications for manufacturers, particularly those working with a range of materials or looking to switch between materials without overhauling their entire process.
“Atomik AM prides itself on a solutions-focused way of working,” added Louise Chapman, NPIF II Fund Principal at Praetura Ventures. “In other words, taking a holistic approach to vastly improve existing processes instead of fixing individual problems. Kate’s enthusiasm and determination to make the advanced manufacturing space truly sustainable is reflected in the incredible work done by Atomik AM so far. Because of this, we jumped at the opportunity to support a female founder scaling a business of this nature from the Liverpool City Region, an area with a long history and reputation for manufacturing.”
This latest funding also follows a £125k investment from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority-backed LYVA Labs, who invested in Atomik AM earlier this year.
Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at British Business Bank, said, “Finding ways to lower our greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors is of paramount importance, and it is fantastic to see a fast-growing North West business, backed by NPIF II, look to do this in the manufacturing area. Its plans for expansion and team growth are some of the transformational change that gaining access to finance can unlock.”
Akshay Bhatnagar, Head of Investment, LYVA Labs, added, “We are delighted that Atomik has secured investment from NPIF II and Praetura. This is great news for the Liverpool City Region. We are excited to be working with Praetura to support Kate and the team to accelerate the Additive Manufacturing revolution which is underway.”
