Lancashire’s UAP gears up for growth with Fhunded Angels co-investment

Investors in this round: Fhunded Angels and Sixth Wave Ventures

Universal Atmosphere Processing (UAP), a North West technology business which has developed a pioneering carbon reduction and gas recovery system, has closed a significant funding round.

As part of UAP’s raise – which involved institutional, public, and private investors – the company utilised the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), the government-backed initiative offering tax relief to early-stage startup investors.

By leveraging SEIS, UAP successfully secured a six-figure sum in funding from several angel networks, including Sixth Wave Ventures.

Based in West Yorkshire, Sixth Wave is an angel syndicate and venture capital firm which invests in early-stage, UK-based deeptech companies. They specialise in supporting businesses which use proprietary, science-based technologies – such as UAP – to address major global challenges linked to resource scarcity and environmental disruption.

UAP’s raise also included an investment from the Fhunded Angels network – a community of private investors looking specifically for early-stage and high growth investment opportunities in Lancashire.

Developed by Lancashire County Council (LCC) as part of a broader early-stage equity finance support strategy, Fhunded Angels is thought to be the biggest regional angel network in the UK managed by a local authority.

Founded by Brendan Cornthwaite in 2022, and headquartered in Lancashire, UAP’s patented technology also recently secured a research grant through CERN’s Venture Connect programme. Brendan is also a recipient of the UK Space Agency’s Visionary Award, which has led to UAP’s inclusion in the UKSA’s LEO programme.

In further recognition of UAP’s breakthrough technology, the company has been named as one of the top 100 startups in the world by SLUSH, the prestigious global tech summit held annually in Helsinki.

Sixth Wave’s angel syndicate lead, Darren Shaw, said: “We’re incredibly excited to partner with UAP. Their technology isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a game-changer for atmospheric gas capture. The business also embodies Sixth Wave’s investment thesis – a truly innovative, science-based solution that has the potential to make a massive, positive impact on our planet’s future.”

Rory Southworth, LCC’s early-stage equity finance lead who manages the Fhunded Angel programme, said: “Being based at the Fraser House tech hub in Lancaster, Brendan has been fully engaged with the Fhunded programme since its inception, and we were confident that we could help him raise the investment he needed to help turn his vision into a reality.

“It’s also been great to be able to work with Darren and the team at Sixth Wave to help UAP maximise the benefits of SEIS, and we look forward to exploring future co-funding opportunities with them – and other angel networks – which involve Lancashire startups and scaleups.”

UAP founder and CEO Brendan Cornthwaite said: “I’m incredibly grateful for the backing we’ve had — including the investment secured from the Fhunded Angels and Sixth Wave Ventures — which will allow us to take our technology to the next stage.

“But for me, this round isn’t about celebration. It’s about execution. It’s about finally building the hardware that’s been in my head for over two years — and proving that atmospheric separation can be done differently.”

In addition to its funding success, UAP will join the UK government’s upcoming trade mission to South Korea and Japan, followed by attendance at COP30 in Brazil. The company has also been invited to present at SLUSH 2025 in Helsinki in November, joining an exclusive cohort of startups considered to have significant global impact potential.