A University of Nottingham spinout helping manufacturers transform how they prepare and process precision components has been revealed as one of the first companies to receive investment from Midlands Mindforge.
The announcement was made as Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, officially opened TextureJet’s new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Ripley. The visit also highlighted EMCCA’s role as an investor in Midlands Mindforge, the region’s university-backed investment company, which is helping unlock capital for high-growth science and technology businesses across the Midlands.
The investment marks another significant milestone as Midlands Mindforge enters its active investment phase, as announced at the UK Global R&D and Science Investment Summit in June. Established by the eight Midlands Innovation partner universities, the fund was created to address historic underinvestment in university spinouts and help turn world-class regional research into successful, scalable businesses.
TextureJet represents exactly the type of opportunity Midlands Mindforge was established to support: a research-led Midlands company with globally relevant technology, strong commercial momentum and significant potential for growth.
Backing Midlands innovation with global potential
Founded on technology developed at the University of Nottingham, TextureJet has pioneered an advanced surface processing platform that offers manufacturers a cleaner, more controllable and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods of edge shaping, surface preparation and part marking.
The technology is already attracting interest from manufacturers operating in high-precision sectors worldwide, reflecting the commercial potential of research and innovation emerging from Midlands universities.
The University’s role has been central throughout TextureJet’s journey, both as the birthplace of the technology and as an ongoing investor supporting the company’s growth. Its progress demonstrates how university research can be translated into real-world economic and industrial impact when combined with entrepreneurial ambition, long-term investment and regional collaboration.
Demonstrating the ambition of Midlands Mindforge
The funding round, led by Midlands Mindforge alongside continued support from the University of Nottingham, Foresight Group through the British Business Bank’s Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), and existing angel investors, represents a seven-figure investment in TextureJet that will support the company’s next phase of growth.
The investment comes at a pivotal point in TextureJet’s growth journey. As the company scales to meet increasing customer demand, the funding will support commercial expansion, technology development and international growth, building on its recent move to a larger headquarters and manufacturing facility in Ripley that has expanded production capacity and created room for future recruitment.
The Mayor’s visit also reflected the East Midlands’ ambition to build on its strengths in advanced manufacturing, engineering and innovation, with companies such as TextureJet demonstrating how university research can be translated into high-growth businesses that create jobs, attract investment and strengthen the region’s economy.
Supporting the next stage of growth
As Midlands Mindforge continues to deploy capital across the region, TextureJet provides an early example of the fund’s ambition: backing exceptional Midlands innovation, accelerating company growth and ensuring more world-leading businesses are built and scaled in the region.
Further investment announcements are expected as Midlands Mindforge progresses its first funding round, building a portfolio of high-potential companies emerging from the Midlands’ research and innovation ecosystem.
Jonathon Mitchell-Smith, CEO and Founder of TextureJet, said: “This round reflects the strong commercial traction we’ve built and the growing confidence in our technology’s ability to address real manufacturing challenges at scale. We’re delighted to have the continued support of investors such as the University of Nottingham and Foresight Group through MEIF, alongside the addition of Midlands Mindforge.
Bringing together this blend of public and private backing from across the Midlands and beyond puts us in a powerful position to accelerate growth, deepen our technology leadership and expand our impact across global manufacturing markets.
Combined with our recent move to larger premises in Ripley, this investment provides the platform we need to support increasing customer demand and deliver the next phase of our growth.”
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “When we invested £2 million into Midlands Mindforge, we did this because we wanted to help our businesses translate their innovative practice into economic growth. More jobs, more opportunities, and better outcomes for the people of the East Midlands.
“There is nothing like experiencing this on the ground. It was great to visit TextureJet and hear how the Midlands Mindforge investment into this business is helping them to expand their operations, deepen their expertise and commercial edge, and occupy a stronger position in a global market.
“I am looking forward to seeing more of the companies who are benefiting from this support: turning world-class ideas into world-changing innovations and helping to make the East Midlands the best place to live, to work, and to learn.”
Daniel Carew, Mindforge Investment Lead Deeptech added: “Mindforge is delighted to invest in TextureJet alongside Foresight Group. TextureJet’s breakthrough in software-defined machining has caught the attention of large corporations from around the globe. New manufacturing technologies are undoubtedly critical to the success of the UK industrial strategy and for future exports, and we believe having this capability locally is foundational to the growth of our Midlands economy. “
