Contextual Capital
Contextual Capital
Contextual Capital
We are an investment community backing deep-tech founders from Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial, pairing capital with sector expertise to build the infrastructure of the next decade across climate, life sciences, and Industry 4.0.
We are an investment community backing deep-tech founders from Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial, pairing capital with sector expertise to build the infrastructure of the next decade across climate, life sciences, and Industry 4.0.
We are an investment community backing deep-tech founders from Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial, pairing capital with sector expertise to build the infrastructure of the next decade across climate, life sciences, and Industry 4.0.
Founder
Capital
Expertise
Diligence
Network
Founder
Capital
Expertise
Diligence
Network
Founder
Capital
Expertise
Diligence
Network
Proximity Advantage
Proximity Advantage
Proximity Advantage
Our investor teams are based directly within university ecosystems. This proximity allows us to meet founders early, support their progress, and invest before they reach traditional VC channels.
Our investor teams are based directly within university ecosystems. This proximity allows us to meet founders early, support their progress, and invest before they reach traditional VC channels.
Our investor teams are based directly within university ecosystems. This proximity allows us to meet founders early, support their progress, and invest before they reach traditional VC channels.
What We Believe
From lab to market
We fund teams turning hard science into products that matter at scale.
From lab to market
We fund teams turning hard science into products that matter at scale.
From lab to market
We fund teams turning hard science into products that matter at scale.
Earliest-stage leverage
The right partners at formation can change trajectory more than any later round.
Earliest-stage leverage
The right partners at formation can change trajectory more than any later round.
Earliest-stage leverage
The right partners at formation can change trajectory more than any later round.
Community multiplies capital
Our deep-tech angels open doors, de-risk milestones, and speed up validation.
Community multiplies capital
Our deep-tech angels open doors, de-risk milestones, and speed up validation.
Community multiplies capital
Our deep-tech angels open doors, de-risk milestones, and speed up validation.
Benefits for Everyone
For Founders
Early- stage capital from £50-150K.
Access to expert mentors from day one.
Introduction to follow-on investors.
For Founders
Early- stage capital from £50-150K.
Access to expert mentors from day one.
Introduction to follow-on investors.
For Founders
Early- stage capital from £50-150K.
Access to expert mentors from day one.
Introduction to follow-on investors.
For Angels
Diversified investment opportunities from top UK universities.
PhD level due diligence and qualified IC.
Community and flexible involvement with portfolio companies.
For Angels
Diversified investment opportunities from top UK universities.
PhD level due diligence and qualified IC.
Community and flexible involvement with portfolio companies.
For Angels
Diversified investment opportunities from top UK universities.
PhD level due diligence and qualified IC.
Community and flexible involvement with portfolio companies.
For Investor Team
Hands on investment experience.
Renumeration through carry.
A clear path to building a network and entering venture capital.
For Investor Team
Hands on investment experience.
Renumeration through carry.
A clear path to building a network and entering venture capital.
For Investor Team
Hands on investment experience.
Renumeration through carry.
A clear path to building a network and entering venture capital.
Our Focus
We invest in early stage companies from university affiliated founders. We don't shy away from solutions to hard problems across life sciences, climate tech and industry 4.0.
Life Sciences
Biology is becoming programmable, but translation still breaks on validation and deployment. We invest in teams that can bridge lab and clinic.
What we look for:
Enabling platforms (computational biology, lab automation, new modalities).
Diagnostics and devices that change clinical pathways and fit reimbursement.
Biomanufacturing and quality systems that scale reliably.
Why Now:
Falling costs in automation and better modelling are compressing discovery cycles. The bottleneck is execution, designing for real clinical use and regulated environments from day one.
Life Sciences
Biology is becoming programmable, but translation still breaks on validation and deployment. We invest in teams that can bridge lab and clinic.
What we look for:
Enabling platforms (computational biology, lab automation, new modalities).
Diagnostics and devices that change clinical pathways and fit reimbursement.
Biomanufacturing and quality systems that scale reliably.
Why Now:
Falling costs in automation and better modelling are compressing discovery cycles. The bottleneck is execution, designing for real clinical use and regulated environments from day one.
Life Sciences
Biology is becoming programmable, but translation still breaks on validation and deployment. We invest in teams that can bridge lab and clinic.
What we look for:
Enabling platforms (computational biology, lab automation, new modalities).
Diagnostics and devices that change clinical pathways and fit reimbursement.
Biomanufacturing and quality systems that scale reliably.
Why Now:
Falling costs in automation and better modelling are compressing discovery cycles. The bottleneck is execution, designing for real clinical use and regulated environments from day one.
Life Sciences
Biology is becoming programmable, but translation still breaks on validation and deployment. We invest in teams that can bridge lab and clinic.
What we look for:
Enabling platforms (computational biology, lab automation, new modalities).
Diagnostics and devices that change clinical pathways and fit reimbursement.
Biomanufacturing and quality systems that scale reliably.
Why Now:
Falling costs in automation and better modelling are compressing discovery cycles. The bottleneck is execution, designing for real clinical use and regulated environments from day one.
Climate Tech
A transition to a sustainable future must be cost-competitive and bankable. We back physics- and chemistry-led innovations that fit industrial reality.
What we look for:
Materials and electrochemistry (storage, catalysis, separations, circularity).
Grid and industrial systems (controls, electrification, thermal, resilience).
MRV and market infrastructure that unlock financeable projects.
Why Now:
Policy is aligning with industrial demand. The gap is scaled deployment. We back solutions that fit existing supply chains, with clear unit economics and measurable impact.
Climate Tech
A transition to a sustainable future must be cost-competitive and bankable. We back physics- and chemistry-led innovations that fit industrial reality.
What we look for:
Materials and electrochemistry (storage, catalysis, separations, circularity).
Grid and industrial systems (controls, electrification, thermal, resilience).
MRV and market infrastructure that unlock financeable projects.
Why Now:
Policy is aligning with industrial demand. The gap is scaled deployment. We back solutions that fit existing supply chains, with clear unit economics and measurable impact.
Climate Tech
A transition to a sustainable future must be cost-competitive and bankable. We back physics- and chemistry-led innovations that fit industrial reality.
What we look for:
Materials and electrochemistry (storage, catalysis, separations, circularity).
Grid and industrial systems (controls, electrification, thermal, resilience).
MRV and market infrastructure that unlock financeable projects.
Why Now:
Policy is aligning with industrial demand. The gap is scaled deployment. We back solutions that fit existing supply chains, with clear unit economics and measurable impact.
Climate Tech
A transition to a sustainable future must be cost-competitive and bankable. We back physics- and chemistry-led innovations that fit industrial reality.
What we look for:
Materials and electrochemistry (storage, catalysis, separations, circularity).
Grid and industrial systems (controls, electrification, thermal, resilience).
MRV and market infrastructure that unlock financeable projects.
Why Now:
Policy is aligning with industrial demand. The gap is scaled deployment. We back solutions that fit existing supply chains, with clear unit economics and measurable impact.
Industry 4.0
Modern industry needs better tools, from design, through the production line, to maintenance. We invest in the stack that makes engineering faster, safer, and cheaper.
What we look for:
AI-native engineering tools, simulation, and data infrastructure.
Robotics and automation with clear payback in real environments.
Real-time sensing and edge computing that turn machine signals into on-line decisions and actions.
Why Now:
We’re in the infrastructure phase of AI, the platforms, data, and tooling have more enduring value than early applications. The rails are more valuable than the train right now.
Industry 4.0
Modern industry needs better tools, from design, through the production line, to maintenance. We invest in the stack that makes engineering faster, safer, and cheaper.
What we look for:
AI-native engineering tools, simulation, and data infrastructure.
Robotics and automation with clear payback in real environments.
Real-time sensing and edge computing that turn machine signals into on-line decisions and actions.
Why Now:
We’re in the infrastructure phase of AI, the platforms, data, and tooling have more enduring value than early applications. The rails are more valuable than the train right now.
Industry 4.0
Modern industry needs better tools, from design, through the production line, to maintenance. We invest in the stack that makes engineering faster, safer, and cheaper.
What we look for:
AI-native engineering tools, simulation, and data infrastructure.
Robotics and automation with clear payback in real environments.
Real-time sensing and edge computing that turn machine signals into on-line decisions and actions.
Why Now:
We’re in the infrastructure phase of AI, the platforms, data, and tooling have more enduring value than early applications. The rails are more valuable than the train right now.
Industry 4.0
Modern industry needs better tools, from design, through the production line, to maintenance. We invest in the stack that makes engineering faster, safer, and cheaper.
What we look for:
AI-native engineering tools, simulation, and data infrastructure.
Robotics and automation with clear payback in real environments.
Real-time sensing and edge computing that turn machine signals into on-line decisions and actions.
Why Now:
We’re in the infrastructure phase of AI, the platforms, data, and tooling have more enduring value than early applications. The rails are more valuable than the train right now.
Where we invest
University of Cambridge
World's #3 deep tech hub, after Boston and the Bay Area.
Accounts for 18% of the UK’s tech value, with 24 native unicorns.
University of Oxford
300+ research-based companies, which raised £6B.
More than half founded in the last decade, generating £3.4B annually.
Imperial College London
World's #3 technical university, after MIT & ETH.
+30 deep-tech spinouts founded every year.
How We Invest
1. First Look
Most promising startups sourced and engaged by trained investment teams
2. Diligence
Structured review of core tech, team, regulatory path, and business model.
3. Decision
An Investment Committee of rotating technical and commercial specialists makes the call.
4. Investment
We fund via the Proximo Ventures Syndicate and support post-investment.
1. First Look
Most promising startups sourced and engaged by trained investment teams
2. Diligence
Structured review of core tech, team, regulatory path, and business model.
3. Decision
An Investment Committee of rotating technical and commercial specialists makes the call.
4. Investment
We fund via the Proximo Ventures Syndicate and support post-investment.
1. First Look
Most promising startups sourced and engaged by trained investment teams
2. Diligence
Structured review of core tech, team, regulatory path, and business model.
3. Decision
An Investment Committee of rotating technical and commercial specialists makes the call.
4. Investment
We fund via the Proximo Ventures Syndicate and support post-investment.
1. First Look
Most promising startups sourced and engaged by trained investment teams
2. Diligence
Structured review of core tech, team, regulatory path, and business model.
3. Decision
An Investment Committee of rotating technical and commercial specialists makes the call.
4. Investment
We fund via the Proximo Ventures Syndicate and support post-investment.
Build with us, as an Angel
Join our deep-tech angel community that contributes expertise as well as capital. We share clear technical diligence, connect you with founders early, and give you first look at companies from Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial. Invest with conviction and help build the next decade’s infrastructure.
First look
Be among the first to meet founders and join pre-seed rounds; we typically syndicate £50–150k.
First look
Be among the first to meet founders and join pre-seed rounds; we typically syndicate £50–150k.
First look
Be among the first to meet founders and join pre-seed rounds; we typically syndicate £50–150k.
First look
Be among the first to meet founders and join pre-seed rounds; we typically syndicate £50–150k.
Invest from £ 1K per deal
Review our full diligence and choose companies you want to invest in.
Invest from £ 1K per deal
Review our full diligence and choose companies you want to invest in.
Invest from £ 1K per deal
Review our full diligence and choose companies you want to invest in.
Invest from £ 1K per deal
Review our full diligence and choose companies you want to invest in.
No membership fees
Invest selectively and stay engaged through updates and events.
No membership fees
Invest selectively and stay engaged through updates and events.
No membership fees
Invest selectively and stay engaged through updates and events.
No membership fees
Invest selectively and stay engaged through updates and events.
Simple Process
Commit, sign, and track your investment in one place with a straightforward, secure platform.
Simple Process
Commit, sign, and track your investment in one place with a straightforward, secure platform.
Simple Process
Commit, sign, and track your investment in one place with a straightforward, secure platform.
Simple Process
Commit, sign, and track your investment in one place with a straightforward, secure platform.
Connect in person
Small-group dinners, partner events, and lab tours with founders.
Connect in person
Small-group dinners, partner events, and lab tours with founders.
Connect in person
Small-group dinners, partner events, and lab tours with founders.
Connect in person
Small-group dinners, partner events, and lab tours with founders.
Investment Committee
Contribute to investment decisions on companies in your sector by joining our investment committee.
Investment Committee
Contribute to investment decisions on companies in your sector by joining our investment committee.
Investment Committee
Contribute to investment decisions on companies in your sector by joining our investment committee.
Investment Committee
Contribute to investment decisions on companies in your sector by joining our investment committee.
Founding Team
Investment Team
Our investors are based at our target universities and selected for proximity to founders, deep technical knowledge, and experience in startups and investing. They gain hands-on experience by sourcing companies, running due diligence, and working directly with founders. They are remunerated through carry, with the opportunity to build an investing track record and move into venture capital post-graduation.
Our investors are based at our target universities and selected for proximity to founders, deep technical knowledge, and experience in startups and investing. They gain hands-on experience by sourcing companies, running due diligence, and working directly with founders. They are remunerated through carry, with the opportunity to build an investing track record and move into venture capital post-graduation.
Become an Investor at Proximo
Become an Investor at Proximo
Join our investor program and help us discover the next generation of breakthrough startups while gaining invaluable experience in venture investing.
Join our investor program and help us discover the next generation of breakthrough startups while gaining invaluable experience in venture investing.
