ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART SECURES FINAL CLOSE FOR NEW DESIGN AND INNOVATION FUND

RCA Innovation Fund Closes After Securing Backing for Design-Led UK Start-Ups

The Royal College of Art has closed its debut Design & Innovation S/EIS Investment Fund I, marking a significant step in the institution’s strategy to convert its research and design talent into scalable, commercially viable ventures.

The fund, managed by Infinity Asset Management LLP, is designed to channel private investment into early-stage businesses founded by RCA graduates and staff. It gives investors access to a pipeline of companies operating across MedTech, CleanTech and advanced materials—sectors where UK early-stage financing remains in high demand—while providing tax incentives available under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Enterprise Investment Scheme.

The RCA has long been viewed as one of Britain’s most productive creators of university spinouts, ranking consistently in the UK top tier for both venture formation and equity-backed deals. Its incubator, InnovationRCA, has supported more than 90 companies which have collectively raised over £150 million. Those ventures include a sizeable share of impact-for-profit businesses, patent-led technologies and a growing number of women-led start-ups.

Following its initial close, the fund has already deployed capital into 10 early-stage companies. These include BlueNose, a London-based maritime technology firm developing AI-driven aerodynamic retrofits for cargo vessels to cut fuel consumption and emissions; Ponda, a biomaterials company transforming wetland plants into textile insulation used by fashion brands including Stella McCartney and Parley for the Oceans; and Revive Innovations +, a MedTech spinout developing a miniaturised auto-injector platform for emergency responders and defence personnel.

Other portfolio companies include Carbon Cell, Flomark, PulpaTronics, Reporti Pro, Digital Heat, CTEye and Trueview Medical. The fund is expected to be fully deployed within the next 12 months, with InnovationRCA continuing to support portfolio companies as they scale.

Professor Christoph Lindner, President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, said “This important milestone in the life of this fund is a testament to the strength of the talent pipeline emerging from the Royal College of Art.”

Sarah Butler, Fund Manager and Partner at Infinity Asset Management LLP, said “We are absolutely delighted to have reached our final close target despite the challenging fundraising environment. The Fund has a fantastic pipeline with some truly compelling investment opportunities that we are really excited about”.

Dr Nadia Danhash, Director of InnovationRCA, added “We are thrilled to welcome our investors into the Fund. Their participation recognises the UK as a strong source of investable and compelling design-led companies. We expect this to be the first of a series of funds that will maximise the potential of UK createch and build an even stronger UK Creative Industries sector.”