Lockheed Martin leads $3m round for Bristol automated wire harness firm

By Nicky Godding

17 April 2024

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Q5D

Q5D Technology, the Bristol company specialising in hardware and software tools for automating wiring harness manufacture, has secured a $3 million investment round, led by Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture investment arm of global aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin.

Q5D has developed robotic tools combined with sophisticated computer-aided design and manufacturing software, enabling the autonomous addition of wiring and printed electronics directly onto product surfaces. This automation offers not only improved quality and reliability but also significant reductions in manufacturing costs compared to traditional manual processes.

The company has gained significant traction in the automotive sector, driven by the industry’s rapid transition to electric powertrains, where automation is crucial for cost reduction and simplifying complex supply chains.

Stephen Bennington, CEO and co-founder of Q5D, said: “We are thrilled to have Lockheed Martin as a strategic investor.

"The potential market for our technology within the defence sector, for both printed electronics and wiring products, is vast. Lockheed Martin’s guidance and support will spearhead our entry into this market in the US and beyond.”

Lockheed Martin’s investment arrives at a pivotal moment for Q5D as it transitions from project-based revenue to machine sales, following the successful launch of its first hardware product last year.

“We see the opportunity for increased versatility and agility in Q5D’s technology,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Wiring is a complex and expensive aspect of the manufacturing process. Q5D’s technology can offer flexibility with the potential for hardware to efficiently switch between manufacturing different parts without compromising quality.”

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.