London, UK – November 22, 2025 – UK tech startups raised £130.91 million across six rounds from November 17-21, a 22% week-on-week decline from £168 million, per UKTN tracking. Despite the slowdown, health tech dominated with Artios Pharma's oversubscribed $115 million Series D leading the pack, fueling DNA damage response therapies for hard-to-treat cancers. AI and spacetech followed, underscoring investor focus on deep science amid economic headwinds. With Q4 budgets tightening, experts predict a rebound via pension-backed funds like the new £200 million British Growth Partnership.
The week's deals blend biotech innovation, AI field tools, and orbital advancements, signaling sustained appetite for scalable impact. London and Cambridge hubs captured 80% of capital, while Bristol and Cornwall notched early wins.
Top 6 UK Tech Funding Deals: Health Tech's £100M+ Haul Steals Spotlight
Here's the curated roundup of standout raises, prioritized by size:
- Artios Pharma – $115M (£88M) (Health Tech/Biotech) Cambridge-based Artios closed an oversubscribed Series D co-led by SV Health Investors and RA Capital Management, with Janus Henderson joining. Founded in 2016, the firm targets DNA damage response (DDR) in cancer, advancing ATR inhibitor alnodesertib (Phase 2 in pancreatic/colorectal cancers, FDA Fast Track) and Polθ inhibitor ART6043 (Phase 2 in breast cancer). Funds extend runway to 2027, building on $320M prior raises for mid-stage trials showing 50% response rates.
- Vyntelligence – $30M (£23M) (AI/Agentic Video Intelligence) London's Vyntelligence secured Series B co-led by Blume Equity and Morgan Stanley's 1GT climate fund. Since 2013, the platform uses proprietary video data for frontline AI insights in utilities/telecoms (clients: SUEZ, Openreach). The raise accelerates US expansion, cutting field emissions and boosting efficiency via Generative AI on 200+ contractor networks—total funding now $40M+.
- PolyModels Hub – £7M (Health Tech/Pharma Software) Just 18 months post-seed, London-based PolyModels Hub landed Series A led by Molten Ventures with Marathon VC. The ModelFlow platform unifies modeling/simulation for biopharma R&D, slashing experiments by 90% and costs (drug dev: $2.5B avg.). Backed by ex-GSK/Lilly leaders, funds scale to global pharma teams, targeting £650M process dev market.
- Emm – $9M (£7M) (FemTech/Biowearables) Bristol's Emm raised oversubscribed seed led by Lunar Ventures, with Labcorp VF, Tiny VC, and angels (Wayve co-founder). The world's first smart menstrual cup tracks flow/ cycles via sensors and app, addressing 1-in-3 women's reproductive issues. Five years in dev, it launches in 2026, unlocking data for endometriosis diagnosis—non-dilutive grants boost total to £14M.
- UK Space Agency Grants – £6.9M (Spacetech/Satellite Comms) Not a startup raise but ecosystem booster: UKSA allocated £6.9M via ESA's ARTES for five projects. Highlights: Orbit Fab (£2.9M) for satellite refueling; Goonhilly (£1.6M) for LunaNet antennas; Vicinity Tech (£1.19M) for 5G NTN payloads. This cements UK's £18.9B space sector, yielding £7.49 economic return per £1 invested, ahead of ESA Ministerial.
- Sencillo – £350K (Fintech/Education Finance) London's Sencillo snagged pre-seed from Tech Nation, Haatch, and angels. The platform helps parents budget/track school fees via embedded credit, tackling £10B+ UK education costs. Founded by ex-Pigzbe innovator Adam Amos, funds prep late-2025 launch and team growth.
Sector & City Breakdown: Health's 70% Share Amid Broader Caution
- Sectors: Health tech (65%, £90M+ via Artios/PolyModels/Emm); AI (18%, Vyntelligence); Spacetech (12%, grants); Fintech (5%, Sencillo). Biotech's clinical wins drew 80% of VC, per Beauhurst—up 15% YoY.
- Cities: Cambridge/London (83%); Bristol (7%); Cornwall (via Goonhilly, 5%). 90% to Series A+.
- Trends: Pension inflows via Mansion House Compact boosted late-week sentiment; average round £22M (down 10% WoW). 2025 YTD: £12.5B across 450 deals, flat vs. 2024 but AI/health resilient.
Key Ecosystem Moves: Pension Power & Policy Tailwinds
- Fund Launch: British Business Bank closed £200M first tranche for Growth Partnership Fund I, backed by Aegon UK, NatWest Cushon, M&G. Targets high-growth tech/science, aligning with Chancellor's VC push—unlocks £3B+ pension capital by 2030.
- Hirings/Partnerships: Vyntelligence added US sales leads post-raise; Emm partnered Labcorp for clinical data. UKRI's £25M health SME call opens Dec 21.
- M&A/News Flash: No major exits; ESA Council (Nov 26-27) eyes £2.8B UK commitment. Dark patterns compliance hits 26 platforms; PhysicsWallah IPO premiums 33%.
Outlook: Q4 Pivot to £15B Annual, Pension Flows Key
This week's £131M reflects selective investing—health's precision wins contrast fintech's caution—but pension commitments signal thaw. With 95 UK unicorns (Tracxn), 2025 eyes £15B total (up 20%), driven by AI/biotech. Founders: Leverage grants like UKRI; investors: Eye ESG via Blume/Morgan Stanley. Track UKTN for live updates.
