Exosect was created by the University of Southampton through its wholly owned commercial subsidiary Southampton Innovations Limited, to commercialise innovative pest control technology.
A privately funded company, Exosect Ltd was spun out of the University in 2001 with a focused R&D function. In 2005 Exosect launched the first of its innovative crop protection products at which time began the evolution towards a product development and sales oriented company.
In 2006, following continued expansion into new markets and investment in the R&D pipeline, Exosect moved from the Southampton Innovations Business Incubator to offices near Winchester (UK), which also housed laboratories dedicated to research and quality assurance and analysis, this included a defra licensed insectary for non indigenous insect pest species. At the same time, the manufacturing and production department was expanded to a 4000 sq ft facility in response to a number of product launches and increased field trials requirements.
Throughout its expansion, Exosect has continued to attract private investment from venture capital companies whose portfolios are dedicated to CleanTech investments. These companies include WHEB ventures, the UK’s first dedicated CleanTech venture capital firm, Oxford Capital Partners, Entrepreneurs Fund LLP, MTI Partners and Hygea VCT. In 2009 Exosect was named one of the top 100 global CleanTech companies by the Guardian Newspaper.
Today, Exosect continues to commercialise its products and invest heavily in its R&D pipeline, which covers a wide range of sectors including crop protection (agriculture, horticulture and stored products), apiculture, amenity and public health and animal health including livestock and companion animals.
Exosect is an ISO9001 company accredited by Lloyds Register.
About WHEB Ventures (www.whebventures.com)
WHEB is one of the pioneers in the European clean technology sector, investing in cleantech companies with high-growth potential from product commercialisation stage through to pre-IPO rounds. From its roots as an award winning clean technology incubator and corporate finance business in 1995, it evolved into the UK’s first dedicated cleantech venture capital firm. WHEB Ventures raised its first fund in 2005.
About Oxford Capital Partners (www.oxcp.com)
Oxford Capital Partners is a venture capital firm working on behalf of institutional and private investors. Its focus is on emerging science and technology and its expertise lies in accelerating businesses with potential for high growth in global markets. Oxford Capital Partners looks for the best opportunities, backing exceptional management teams and investing across all stages of development, from start-up to IPO. Oxford Capital Partners is the manager of several Funds and oversees a portfolio of companies in a range of technology sectors, including clean technologies, communication technologies, healthcare and related life and physical sciences.
About Entrepreneurs Fund BV (www.efbv.net)
The Entrepreneurs Fund is a member of the COFRA Group, a privately owned group of companies. The Entrepreneurs Fund has €100 million under management, which it invests in early stage and growth companies owning strong technology/IP, with a focus on Europe.
EF provides early stage / growth financing and active support to outstanding entrepreneurial teams involved in life sciences, materials sciences, automotive related technologies and water technologies so as to realize significant economic returns, in a responsible manner.
About The UMIP Premier Fund (“UPF”) (www.mtifirms.com)
UPF, managed by leading technology investment manager MTI Partners, primarily invests in businesses emerging from The University of Manchester’s “5-star” rated academic departments but also has the remit to invest outside the University in companies that have synergies with other investments from the Fund and with MTI’s sector specialisms. The Fund will primarily make late-seed stage investments and opportunistically fund somewhat more developed but still early stage companies. The Fund portfolio will total of 15 - 20 companies with initial investments ranging from £250k in earlier stage opportunities through to the £750k-£1m range, with both the intention and capacity to provide follow-on investment up to £3m where required.
About Hygea VCT (www.hygeavct.com)
Hygea VCT provides investors with access to a diversified portfolio of emerging and established MedTech companies qualifying for investment by a VCT. The board has a strong track record of investing in this area and has a network of personnel with successful P&L responsibility experience in the MedTech sector, both in the UK and internationally.