Oxford Metrics buys Move AI for £525,000, cuts profit outlook
What's the deal? UK-listed Oxford MetricsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired the assets of London-based Move AI for £525,000 in cash — roughly £725,000 including transaction costs — to expand its motion capture business. The company paired the deal with a profit warning and a £3m share buyback.
What each side does: Oxford Metrics is a smart sensing and measurement firm whose ViconDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → division sells motion capture technology. Move AI converts video footage into three-dimensional motion data without physical markers or specialist suits.
What's the endgame? Oxford Metrics said the deal would strengthen Vicon's technology and widen its reach into entertainment, sport, biomechanics, and human movement analysis. Move AI generated unaudited revenue of £1.1m in 2025.
The numbers: Oxford Metrics cut guidance, now expecting revenue of £47m to £51m for the 15 months to 31 December 2026, below market forecasts of £56.2m. It also flagged an adjusted operating loss of £0.5m to £3.9m, against expectations of a £3m profit.
Why now? The company blamed weaker demand in Vicon's established markets, pressure on research funding, and delays in its Industrial Vision and Metrology Systems division. Studio consolidation and reduced virtual production spending hit film, television, and gaming investment, while tighter research budgets, particularly in the US, slowed customer orders.
What could go wrong? Oxford Metrics is accelerating cost cuts, targeting annualised savings of £1.5m to £2m, but further weakness in its core markets could pressure the integration. "Trading in our established markets has been more difficult than expected," said non-executive chair and interim chief executive Gary Bullard.
The signal: One soft market is being offset by a stronger one. Oxford Metrics said demand from robotics companies remains encouraging, especially in humanoid robot development and drone tracking — markets where marker-free motion capture like Move AI's could extend its reach.
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Image credit: dylanroscover
