Deep tech
We are investing in the picks and shovels for the digital world
Early-stage VCs tend to focus on traditional business models being disrupted by technology. Bloc focuses on the underlying enabling technologies which are market disruptive, with strong defensible IP and the potential to scale globally.
Europe offers some of the most exciting and innovative deep technology prospects but has had a history of being unable to commercialise those technologies on a global scale. Many of these technologies are coming out of the world-leading universities based here in Europe. This underserved technology landscape tends to be undercapitalised due to the view that deep tech is risky, but with our experience and approach we are able to capitalise on the attractive high return characteristics of deep tech with minimal competition from other VCs.
Deep-tech investment has similar characteristics to other established industries, such as pharmaceuticals and oil & gas, which makes it highly attractive from an investment point of view. The large technology industry players see ‘off balance sheet’ Research and Development taking place at start-ups, acquiring them only once the business has been de-risked and once the companies growth can be significantly accelerated through the acquirers own sales channels. A key part of our approach is to identify those potential commercial exists prior to investment.
Our deep tech investments to date include HPC computing, post-quantum-computing security, software-defined networks, fixed wireless access, wireless channel coding, cloud video security, and the Internet of Things.
Who we have backed
World-leading IP from Southampton University combined with a management team from ARM, that together enables 5G wireless to realise its full potential and beyond.
Quantum based security technology that protects critical infrastructure projects from the security risks of today and continues to protect against the threat posed by the fast-approaching quantum-computing era.
Providing IoT infrastructure that virtually connects trillions of physical products to the internet, giving visibility to tier-1 brands from factory to end-consumer by creating an individual digital identity for products.
Developing and publishing superb, high-quality video games for mobile, PC and consoles based on licensed IP from tier-1 brands, most notably Hasbro.
Highly innovative RF semiconductor beam-forming technology that enables fibre networks to be wirelessly delivered at the network edge where fibre in the ground is not economic.
A software platform that securely ’tethers' security infrastructure to the cloud, allowing it to be more effectively managed and controlled, events stored and analysed, and accessed from any device anywhere.
A HPC platform technology that enables users to achieve optimal price, performance and predictability by balancing demand across on-premise, private and public cloud. The YellowDog Index of cloud spot performance and pricing is unique in the market.
An ex-Worldpay team founded this FinTech to bring ERP levels of spend management control to SMEs for a fraction of the price, based around an innovative corporate card programme that tightly integrates with all the main accounting platforms.
Founded on IP from the world renowned High-Performance Networks group at Bristol University, Zeetta’s software defined network operating system (NetOS) simplifies network operations and management, minimising the pain and cost that continuous business transformation brings to networks.
