Liquid Raises $18.0M Seed Round

Checkstep

Checkstep is the trusted AI content moderation software that helps global platforms detect harmful content, enforce policies, and stay compliant at scale. Combine powerful automation with human expertise to deliver safe, relevant, and compliant digital experiences. Checkstep was founded in 2020 by serial entrepreneur Guillaume Bouchard, Facebook’s former AI Integrity Manager in London, who successfully exited his first business, Bloomsbury AI, to Facebook in 2018, and by Jonathan Manfield, former Software Engineering Lead at JP Morgan with an initial focus on misinformation. The company is backed by influential personalities of the tech industry from the U.S. and U.K., including many previous founders of online platforms, such as Joe White MBE, co-founder of Moonfruit.com and British Consul General in San Francisco, Jon Oringer who founded Shutterstock, a leading stock photography provider, as well as technology specialists, such as William Tunstall-Pedoe, who founded Evi, which became Amazon Alexa, and Diana Hu, who leads the AR platform at Niantic the company behind Pokemon Go.

Hypervision Surgical

Hypervision Surgical Ltd is a spin-out company formed from King's College London and was founded by a team of clinicians, medical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) experts. Based on safe light alone, our goal is to equip clinicians with advanced computer-assisted tissue analysis for improved surgical precision and patient safety.

Salmon

Salmon is a global digital commerce consultancy that defines and delivers market-changing eCommerce solutions and customer journeys for the world’s leading brands. Founded in 1989, with operations in London, Amsterdam, New Delhi, Beijing and Melbourne, we have over 700 experts in multichannel commerce, shaping client platforms that drive €7.4 billion in revenue annually across retail, distribution, manufacturing, FMCG and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C). Clients include Argos, Asian Paints, Audi UK, DFS, Halfords, Jumbo, LloydsPharmacy, Premier Farnell, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Ted Baker and Sligro Food Group. Salmon was acquired by WPP in 2013 and is a Wunderman Commerce Company, its largest digital commerce consultancy. 2017 saw the formation of Wunderman Commerce which brings together eCommerce technology powerhouse Salmon, the Amazon-focused approach of POSSIBLE and its acquisition Marketplace Ignition, and Wunderman with its strengths in customer data and creativity. How can we help you? Visit www.salmon.com or follow us on Twitter @SalmonLtd Sign up to our newsletter to be kept informed and stay ahead of the game in eCommerce: http://bit.ly/28XbNf4

Naturbeads

Naturbeads is an innovative particles technology platform. Our first product to market is cellulose microspheres. Cellulose is biodegradable, sustainable and renewable. Our perfectly spherical cellulose microspheres have been successfully tested in cosmetic and personal care products, paints and coatings, adhesives, packaging and many other industrial and life science applications to replace polluting primary microplastics. We built our first production plant in Italy to launch our product in 2026. Our achievements: 4 Innovate UK grants for a total value of ~£1.7 million to build two pilot plants and expand our range of applications from personal care and cosmetics to paints and coatings, and life science applications. 2 contracts (£200K) with the UK government for fully funded research to test our cellulose beads in biocatalysis and a follow-up Eureka Project (£250K) to bring the technology to TRL 6. 1 WECA (West of England Combined Authority) and 1 VaxHub grant (tot £120K) to test our microspheres as carriers in biomedical applications. Awards: Great British Entrepreneur Award, Equity Backed Entrepreneur category 2025 Best EISA Investee Award 2025 Award Princess Sichelgaita with Medal of the President of the Italian Republic 2024 Finalist IchemE Awards Innovation and Sustainability Categories 2023 Winner Manufacturing and Engineering Startup of the Year 2022 Hard Tech Finalist UKBAA 2022 UK Finalist KPMG Tech Innovator 2022 Hello Tomorrow Deep Tech Pioneers 2021 Winner Blue Tulip Award Climate and Energy 2021 Finalist Emerging Technology competition, Royal Society of Chemistry 2018 and 2021 3*3 month Internship grant from the Royal Society of Chemistry Finalist SouthSummit 2020 Nominee PostCode Lotteries Green Challenge 2020 2nd place Virtual SouthSummit in Sustainability 2020 Finalist in Pitch@Palace 12.0 2019 Finalist in the Launch Great West Award - One to watch category 2019 UK Finalist of the Climate Launchpad competition 2018

Alesi Surgical Ltd

Alesi Surgical announced in 2023 that it had attained FDA clearance for its groundbreaking Ultravision2 smoke management solution. The breakthrough new Ultravision system includes the world’s first surgical tool integrating electrosurgery and class-leading surgical smoke control in a single laparoscopic device. Alesi Surgical was founded to develop and commercialise products that improve the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of surgical procedures. The company is a spin-out of the Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy (WIMAT), a leading surgical training centre in the UK. Alesi Surgical has a unique level of access to experienced surgeons, surgical trainers, and trainees, which allows it to identify issues in procedures and design devices to address these issues. The company is active in the research and development of novel surgical technologies. It has a ‘needs-driven’ pipeline and product development is informed by robust testing by surgical trainers who advise on the utility, usability, and integration of products into surgical practice. Ultravision is designed to deliver rapid and continuous resolution of surgical smoke. It is a small, stand-alone, portable unit fully compatible with current laparoscopic equipment and electrosurgical instruments. Alesi Surgical welcomes approaches from research-based companies or inventors who are interested in exploring potential synergies.