Exciting Instruments
Accessible single-molecule detection platform for life science research.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | £4.0m | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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Exciting Instruments Limited is a developer of spectroscopy tools aimed at making single-molecule research accessible for applications in biophysics, drug discovery, and medical diagnostics. The company was founded in 2021 as a spinout from the University of Sheffield by Dr. Tim Craggs, an expert in single-molecule fluorescence, and Robert Bell, a technologist with a background in startups. Dr. Craggs, the CEO, has extensive multidisciplinary experience in chemistry, physics, and biology from research positions at several universities, while Robert Bell, the COO, previously co-founded an AI analytics startup.
The company's core product is the EI-FLEX, a compact, benchtop instrument that simplifies single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, a technique historically limited by complex and expensive equipment. The EI-FLEX is designed to be affordable and user-friendly, allowing researchers without specialized expertise to study protein conformations and biomolecular interactions. It features cloud-based software for real-time data visualization and analysis, enabling users to track experiments remotely and generate publication-quality figures. The system supports methods like smFRET (Single-molecule FRET microscopy) and FCS (Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy) without needing specialized facilities like optical tables or dark rooms.
Exciting Instruments operates on a business model of selling its hardware directly to academic and pharmaceutical labs. The company initially funded its operations through direct customer sales before securing £4 million in seed funding in late 2024 to accelerate product development, expand its commercial reach, and grow its team. Its clients include academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies engaged in drug development, clinical diagnostics, and life sciences research. The company is developing a second version of its instrument with higher throughput capabilities, such as automated processing of 96-well plates, specifically targeting the pharma and biotech markets.
Keywords: single-molecule spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, biophysics, drug discovery, molecular diagnostics, life science research, EI-FLEX, smFRET, protein analysis, molecular interactions, scientific instruments, benchtop instruments, real-time data analysis, University of Sheffield spinout, Tim Craggs, Robert Bell, high-throughput analysis, structural biology, molecular ruler, confocal microscopy