Camera tech firm Living Optics snaps up Milton Park HQ

Living Optics – a University of Oxford spinout developing hyperspectral cameras which capture information undetectable to the human eye – has established its new headquarters at Milton Park.

The company hopes its new base on one of Europe’s largest science and technology communities will allow it to democratise and miniaturise the innovative technology for the mass market.

Seeing beyond the red, green and blue (RGB) of conventional cameras, hyperspectral technology can detect over 50 colours at every pixel, revealing otherwise invisible details and data. The potential applications of this pioneering technology are vast, ranging from detecting tumours, assessing the freshness of food, sorting plastics for recycling and even determining the health and biodiversity of soil.

The new headquarters will see its team of 30 employees occupy 8,000 sq ft of cutting-edge office and R&D lab space at 100 Park Drive, enabling Living Optics to facilitate its future recruitment and expansion plans.

A spinout from the University of Oxford’s Physics Department in 2020, the company secured £20m of series A funding in 2022, which will be put towards developing the complex engineering and software applications required for the camera technology at the new premises.

The launch coincides with research commissioned by Milton Park, which reveals the scale of investment generated at the Park over the last decade. The findings from insights firm Beauhurst show a total of £2.14b worth of equity investment was raised between 2013 and 2022 across 272 companies located at the Park.

Connor O’Brien, Finance Director at Living Optics, said: “Our successful series A funding underpinned a real excitement about our mission to democratise hyperspectral cameras for the mass market, but it also revealed a critical need for us to find more space and facilities to accommodate for that rapid growth.

“Milton Park’s location, its adaptable facilities and the vibrancy of its occupier community was a natural fit for Living Optics. Our new headquarters – complete with laboratory, meeting room and collaboration spaces – suit our future needs perfectly.

“We’re well on our way to introducing hyperspectral systems and the huge range of potential applications to the market, which have long been confined to the lab, and we’re really excited to continue that journey here at Milton Park.”

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at MEPC Milton Park, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome a local Oxfordshire success story like Living Optics to our vibrant and innovative community. Providing adaptable spaces for exciting tech companies at the vanguard of innovation is at the heart of what we do.

“We think Milton Park as an incubator with strong community collaboration and a long-term track record of nurturing companies along their growth journeys. We’re looking forward to seeing Living Optics go from strength-to-strength as it embarks on its mission to democratise access to hyperspectral imaging.”

To find out more about Living Optics and its vacancies, please visit: www.livingoptics.com