Corrosion monitoring firm raises further £900k to build global sales pipeline

A company whose technology can detect and predict corrosion in pipelines has raised a further £900,000 to expand its global client base.

CorrosionRADAR, which has offices in Cranfield and Cambridge, secured the investment from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, as well as the government’s Future Fund and existing shareholders.

The latest funding will help the company to boost overseas sales and enter new markets in preparation for a Series A funding round later this year.

CorrosionRADAR’s system addresses a major challenge for oil, gas and chemical companies – how to detect corrosion under insulation in pipelines, tanks and other vessels. It uses sensors installed next to the surface of the asset, which provides real-time data on the presence of corrosion or moisture, allowing early repairs to be undertaken, reducing maintenance costs and helping to minimise risk of catastrophic failures.

The system, which is already being used by companies including Solvay, Sitech and Reliance Industries, and in locations from Europe to the Middle East and south-east Asia, enables operators to move away from manual on-site inspections to remote monitoring, and from reactive to predictive maintenance.

Chiraz Ennaceur, CEO at CorrosionRADAR, said: 

“This funding has come at exactly the right time for us. COVID-19 has put digitalisation firmly on the agenda for asset owners and operators – remote monitoring has become even more important as it’s much more cost effective and safer than sending people out to sites.

“The ability to continuously monitor and predict corrosion onset will not only change the way industry approaches inspections and maintenance, but it will also reduce risk and save time and money. CorrosionRADAR is leading the way in using advanced digital technologies to respond to this global challenge and will continue to achieve its ambitious growth plans.”

Mercia has supported CorrosionRADAR since 2017 when the company was founded as a spin-out from the University of Cranfield.

Stephen Windsor, Investment Manager at Mercia, added: 

“CorrosionRADAR has the benefit of a management team with industry experience which has helped to ensure that the company has consistently met its technical and commercial milestones. Having supported the business to develop its technology, this follow-on round will help it to scale up its customer base ahead of a larger round later this year.”

Ken Cooper, Managing Director at the British Business Bank, said: 

“This latest investment in CorrosionRADAR shows how the MEIF can support companies through follow-on funding rounds, enabling a technology to be developed and then commercialised. Supporting innovation is a key objective for MEIF, and it’s great to see an innovative product now being rolled out to global markets.”

Vicky Hlomuka, Growth Hub Manager at the South East Midlands LEP said: 

“Investing in businesses to scale-up at different stages of their business journey is integral in helping innovative companies in the area to progress. It’s crucial that we back business to secure their future in this global marketplace, particularly during this time of change.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

ENDS

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About Mercia Asset Management PLC

Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. Mercia provides capital across its four asset classes of balance sheet, venture, private equity and debt capital: the Group’s ‘Complete Connected Capital’. The Group initially nurtures businesses via its third-party funds under management, then over time Mercia can provide further funding to the most promising companies, by deploying direct investment follow-on capital from its own balance sheet.

The Group has a strong UK footprint through its regional offices, 19 university partnerships and extensive personal networks, providing it with access to high-quality deal flow. Mercia currently has c.£800million of assets under management and, since its IPO in December 2014, has invested over £96million into its direct investment portfolio. Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic “MERC”.

The Group raises its own Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) Funds and details about open offers can be found through Mercia’s website.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic “MERC” and includes the following wholly owned subsidiaries –

• Mercia Fund Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 524856
• Enterprise Ventures Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 183363
• EV Business Loans Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 443560

www.mercia.co.uk

About the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF)

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund will invest in Debt Finance, Small Business Loans, Proof of Concept and Equity Finance funds, ranging from £25,000 to £2m, specifically to help small and medium sized businesses secure the funding they need for growth and development.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund is operated by British Business Financial Services Limited, wholly owned by British Business Bank, the UK’s national economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to make finance markets for smaller businesses work more effectively, enabling those businesses to prosper, grow and build UK economic activity.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and British Business Finance Limited, a British Business Bank group company.

The MEIF covers the following LEP areas: Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham & Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, The Marches, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands; and Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire (D2N2) Greater Lincolnshire, Leicester and Leicestershire, and South East Midlands in the East Midlands.

The project is receiving up to £78,550,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

The funds in which Midlands Engine Investment Fund invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in, the West Midlands and East & South East Midlands.

The British Business Bank has published the Business Finance Guide (in partnership with the ICAEW, and a further 21 business and finance organisations). The guide, which impartially sets out the range finance options available to businesses and provides links to support available at a regional level, is available at www.thebusinessfinanceguide.co.uk/bbb

About the British Business Bank

The British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to make finance markets for smaller businesses work more effectively, enabling those businesses to prosper, grow and build UK economic activity. Its remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government.

The British Business Bank programmes were supporting more than £8bn of finance to over 98,000 smaller businesses at end of March 2020. Since March 2020, the British Business Bank has launched four new Coronavirus business loan schemes, delivering tens of billions of pounds of finance to over a million businesses.

As well as increasing both supply and diversity of finance for UK smaller businesses through its programmes, the Bank works to raise awareness of the finance options available to smaller businesses:

●        The Business Finance Guide (published in partnership with the ICAEW and a further 21 business and finance organisations) impartially sets out the range of finance options available to businesses at all stages – from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-sized companies. Businesses can take the interactive journey at www.thebusinessfinanceguide.co.uk/bbb.

• The new British Business Bank Finance Hub provides independent and impartial information to high-growth businesses about their finance options, featuring short films, expert guides, checklists and articles from finance providers to help make their application a success. The new site also features case studies and learnings from real businesses to guide businesses through the process of applying for growth finance.

As the holding company of the group operating under the trading name of British Business Bank, British Business Bank plc is wholly owned by HM Government and is not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The British Business Bank operates under its own brand name through a number of subsidiaries, none of which are authorised and regulated by the FCA.

British Business Bank plc and its principal operating subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. A complete legal structure chart for British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries can be found on the British Business Bank plc website.