K3 Metrology Ltd (“K3M”), a spin‑out from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), has launched with a £2.75 million seed investment to commercialise Metralis, a next‑generation, metrology platform designed for advanced manufacturing environments.
The funding round is supported by Parkwalk alongside the Development Bank of Wales and the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S).
Based at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Cymru (AMRC-C) in Broughton, K3 Metrology enters the market as manufacturers across aerospace, defence, nuclear and other high‑value sectors are seeking more efficient, traceable and scalable measurement solutions. The company was founded by Professor Ben Hughes (CTO) and Dr Mike Campbell (CEO), who have worked together for more than 12 years at NPL developing the Metralis technology and building strong relationships with major industrial partners.
Metralis was created in response to direct feedback from large industrial users who highlighted the limitations of legacy systems. In customer trials, Metralis has demonstrated significant performance gains and a timing study with a major manufacturing partner having found that using Metralis resulted in efficiency gains of 60%.
Dr Mike Campbell, CEO of K3 Metrology, said: “For decades, manufacturers have been forced to compromise between accuracy, speed and scalability. Metralis removes that trade‑off entirely. This investment enables us to bring a step‑change technology to market and support the UK’s most advanced industrial sectors. Metralis is the result of years of scientific development at NPL, and we are now grateful for the support of the Development Bank, Parkwalk and UKI2S. Our team is excited to deliver real‑time, high‑accuracy measurement at a scale that has never before been possible.”
Penny Holt, Chief Financial Officer of NPL said: “K3 Metrology Ltd demonstrates how publicly funded science can translate into high‑value industrial capability for the UK. Metralis is a transformative technology with the ability to raise industrial productivity, strengthen UK manufacturing competitiveness, and set new international standards in large‑volume measurement. This seed investment marks an important step in translating 15 years of NPL research into real‑world impact, and we’re proud to support the K3M team as they take this capability to market.”
Alun Williams, Investment Director, Parkwalk, the UK’s most active investor in university spin‑outs, brings deep experience in commercialising complex IP, said: “K3 Metrology is a great example of the world‑class, science‑led innovation that Parkwalk exists to back. Metralis embodies the kind of breakthrough, industrial deep‑tech we look for — addressing a clear need with a platform that can transform productivity for advanced manufacturers. Its real‑time, high‑accuracy measurement capability represents a significant step forward in precision metrology, overcoming the limitations of legacy systems and enabling throughput levels demanded by aerospace, defence and other high‑value sectors. We are excited to be investing in K3M as the team brings this rigorously validated, next‑generation technology into commercial deployment.”