Lambda Energy raises angel round to turn UV light into bigger crop yields
What's the deal? Lambda EnergyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised an angel round led by Oxford Innovation Finance's investor network, OIONDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, alongside the Oxford Innovation networkDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The company makes materials that convert unused ultraviolet light from sunlight into red light that plants use for photosynthesis, boosting greenhouse crop yields without extra energy.
What's the endgame? Lambda's additive can be built into agricultural films or applied as a greenhouse coating. It bills the technology as a cheaper, more scalable alternative to competing options such as quantum dots and dyes, and one compatible with existing greenhouse materials.
The traction: Recent trials showed a 47% increase in beetroot yield, 33% in rocket, and 10% in basil. Lambda has secured two letters of intent and 12 materials transfer agreements with customers, plus manufacturing capacity for the next two years.
What's next? The company is preparing to pilot its next-generation additive, GloGro, with high-value crops in the UK. The funding will support ongoing R&D and expand commercial operations to drive adoption across agriculture.
Chief executive officer Dr Monica Saavedra said OION "makes decisions quickly and decisively," adding that its members' expertise means founders "will likely find mentors and advisors in the process, as well as capital."
Why now? Climate change is squeezing global food security, and Lambda's pitch is producing more food without new land or major infrastructure changes. Richard Cooper, managing director at Oxford Innovation Finance, called the early trial results "particularly encouraging."
The signal: Investors are backing agricultural technologies that raise productivity from existing resources rather than expanding footprint. Lambda's light-conversion approach targets a fundamental constraint — how much usable light reaches a crop — with a low-cost, retrofit-friendly material, positioning it against pricier alternatives as it moves toward commercialisation.
Read more: ukbaa.org.uk
Image credit: RaeAllen
