Living Optics establishes HQ at Milton Park
Camera tech firm Living Optics has opened its new headquarters at Milton Park in Oxfordshire.
The University of Oxford spinout is working on hyperspectral cameras which can capture information undetectable to the human eye by detecting beyond the red, green and blue of standard cameras. The new technology could be used to detect tumours, assess food freshness, sort plastics for recycling and possibly determine the health and biodiversity of soil.
Living Optics hopes its new 8,000 square foot headquarters at 100 Park Drive will allow it to miniaturise its technology for the mass market. It will house the firm’s 30 current employees, with space for future recruitment and expansion.
The company span out from the University’s Physics department in 2020 and secured £20 million of Series A funding last year, which will fund the development of the complex engineering and software applications required for the camera technology.
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Connor O’Brien, Finance Director at Living Optics, said: “Our successful series A funding underpinned a real excitement about our mission to democratise hyperspectral cameras for the mass market, but it also revealed a critical need for us to find more space and facilities to accommodate for that rapid growth.
“Milton Park’s location, its adaptable facilities and the vibrancy of its occupier community was a natural fit for Living Optics. Our new headquarters – complete with laboratory, meeting room and collaboration spaces – suit our future needs perfectly.
“We’re well on our way to introducing hyperspectral systems and the huge range of potential applications to the market, which have long been confined to the lab, and we’re really excited to continue that journey here at Milton Park.”
The launch coincides with research commissioned by Milton Park, which reveals the scale of investment generated at the Park over the last decade. The findings from insights firm Beauhurst show a total of £2.14b worth of equity investment was raised between 2013 and 2022 across 272 companies located at the Park.
Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at MEPC Milton Park, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome a local Oxfordshire success story like Living Optics to our vibrant and innovative community. Providing adaptable spaces for exciting tech companies at the vanguard of innovation is at the heart of what we do.
“We think Milton Park as an incubator with strong community collaboration and a long-term track record of nurturing companies along their growth journeys. We’re looking forward to seeing Living Optics go from strength-to-strength as it embarks on its mission to democratise access to hyperspectral imaging.”
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