London’s first deep tech hub for pilot and demo manufacturing opens

Imperial College London has launched Grapht Works, the city’s first facility dedicated to pilot and demonstration manufacturing for deep tech companies. The facility responds to growing demand from science and technology scaleups seeking to move from R&D into industrial-scale production without leaving London.

Startups make up 77% of UK deep tech, a sector valued at £260bn in 2025, but a lack of flexible industrial-scale space has been a barrier to scaling. Grapht Works offers 28 configurable units, designed to support pilot, demo, and scale-up manufacturing across advanced materials, cleantech, industrial automation, robotics, and engineering biology.

The site is already home to high-growth ventures including Solena Materials, developing AI-designed high-performance fibres; Aed Energy, creating long-duration thermal batteries; and 2D Nano, innovating materials for energy storage and sustainable construction.

Imperial College President Hugh Brady said: “Providing essential infrastructure like Grapht Works is critical to ensure deep tech businesses can start, scale, and stay in the UK. Scaling these companies drives economic growth and strengthens UK industrial capabilities.”

Alice Sewell, Investment Director at Imperial, added, “London has abundant lab space, but few facilities to support scaling deep tech. Grapht Works meets that demand, helping companies prototype and pilot manufacture without leaving the city.”

Located in North Acton within Imperial’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster, Grapht Works combines flexible industrial units with access to research-intensive university expertise, highly skilled talent, and transport links - helping deep tech ventures bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial production.

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