OWidgets (t/a OW Smell Digital) secures £1 million Seed investment led by Parkwalk Advisors

OW Smell Digital – the digital smell company launches with £1m seed funding

Founded by two leading scientists, Emanuela Maggioni and Marianna Obrist, with lead investment from Parkwalk Advisors

London, 15th March 2022 – A spinout from the University of Sussex and UCL, OW has raised £1m in seed funding developing technology that enables the digitisation of the human sense of smell. The funding round was led by Parkwalk Advisors.

The primary use of funding will allow the company to achieve its goals and expand the team, taking a step forward in the development  of both its software and hardware products – a digitally controlled multi-channel Scent Delivery Device and an adaptive, AI-powered and cloud-based software revolutionising human-computer interaction.

Founded by the leading scientists Emanuela Maggioni and Marianna Obrist, OW looks to be for smell what Dolby and Adobe are to sound and vision: to transform an ecosystem dominated by the eyes and the ears. The design of the hardware and software is innovative, allowing the company’s technology to control and deliver scents and their unique perceptual effects.

Originally formed as OWidgets off the back of a European Research Council Proof-of-Concept award, OW’s work crosses the arts, consumer industries, healthcare and research. The company is working with Rockefeller University (SMELL-RS) to create the first standardised smell-test toolkit to measure olfactory capabilities; with UCL to develop efficient and affordable smell-delivery technologies and smell training tools (SmellHealth, a second ERC PoC-funded project); and with commercial clients to deliver immersive reality experiences (British Airways, New Reality Co, Picture This Productions). With each new project, OW is using novel ways in which products can enhance sensory experiences.

Emanuela Maggioni, Founder and CEO of OW Smell Digital, said:

‘We are looking to interrupt a marketplace dominated by technologies reliant solely on sound, vision and increasingly, touch. Our sense of smell has the power to evoke long-forgotten memories, bring food to life, calm us down and enrich our lives. We create smell technologies that can be used across a range of innovative contexts. From leading healthcare research to artistic and immersive experiences, our products offer a total digital command over scent and smell.’

John Pearson, Investment Director, Parkwalk, said:

‘We are very happy to be supporting the team at OW, where Emanuela and Marianna bring a wealth of technical, commercial, entrepreneurial knowledge and expertise. This is an exciting company. OW provides a unique innovation to design, produce and evaluate smell sensations and the impact these can have on individuals that we haven’t seen before.’

–ENDS–

For further information, please contact:

Lulu Carter, Account Manager for Parkwalk                          

+ 44 (0)7940 796368

[email protected]

About OW

Established in 2019, OW creates digital smell technology that will transform an ecosystem dominated by sound and vision. The company designs reliable and innovative technologies: hardware and software solutions that allow us to identify scents and their unique perceptual effects. Originally formed as OWidgets off the back of its first European Research Council Proof-of-Concept award, OW’s work crosses the arts, the consumer industries, healthcare and research. With each new project, the team is learning about novel ways in which the company’s products can enhance sensory experiences.

OW Twitter – @o_widgets

General enquiries: [email protected] 

About Parkwalk 

Parkwalk is the largest growth EIS fund manager and has been the UK’s most active investor in backing world-changing technologies emerging from the UK’s leading universities and research institutions over the past five years. With £360m of assets under management, it has invested in over 140 companies across its award-winning flagship Parkwalk Opportunities EIS Fund as well as the enterprise and innovation funds Parkwalk manages for the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and Imperial College.

Parkwalk invests in businesses creating solutions to real-world challenges, with IP-protected innovations, across a range of sectors including life sciences, AI, quantum computing, advanced materials, genomics, cleantech, future of mobility, medtech and big data.

Safiya Marzook

Related post

This will close in 25 seconds