Fuse Diagnostics raises £1m led by FSE Group with Cambridge Capital Group
This article covers Fuse Diagnostics, a Cambridge biotech startup, which has raised £1m in a pre-seed funding round to commercialise its Flip molecular diagnostics platform and expand manufacturing at its Cambridge headquarters. The funding aims to accelerate assay development and validation for rapid, decentralised testing across industrial and environmental markets, supporting sectors such as food safety, water monitoring and bioprocessing.
Fuse Diagnostics, a Cambridge biotech startup, has raised £1 million in a pre-seed funding round to commercialise its Flip molecular diagnostics platform and expand manufacturing at its Cambridge headquarters. The investment is intended to accelerate assay development and validation across multiple industrial and environmental markets where rapid, decentralised testing is needed.
Why it matters
Molecular diagnostics have traditionally been confined to specialist laboratories because of equipment and complexity. Fuse’s Flip platform aims to move laboratory-quality detection closer to the point of need by removing the requirement for instruments and reducing test complexity. For industries such as food safety, water monitoring and bioprocessing, faster onsite results can cut downtime, reduce contamination risk and improve response times — outcomes that matter for both public health and commercial operations.
The announcement follows broader momentum in decentralised testing sparked by the pandemic, when rapid diagnostics became a priority across health and non-health sectors. For manufacturers and researchers, lower-cost, instrument-free molecular tests promise a more resilient testing pipeline and faster decision-making.
Inside the product
Flip pairs proprietary amplification chemistry with a low-cost, disposable test design to detect pathogens and contaminants without specialist laboratory infrastructure. Fuse says the platform is instrument-free and supports a pipeline of assays intended to deliver laboratory-quality sensitivity while simplifying deployment.
The company plans to target six strategic sectors: life sciences research, bioprocessing, food safety, water quality, veterinary diagnostics and plant agriculture. The funding will be used to advance assay development and validation with strategic industry partners, scale manufacturing capabilities and expand commercial reach from its Cambridge base.
### Who's backing the round
Who are the investors?
The raise was led by The FSE Group and included participation from existing angel investors and new angel investors, including Cambridge Capital Group. The funding is positioned to combine capital with partnerships that can support manufacturing and commercial expansion.
In the announcement, Cheryl Weeks, Head of Funds South East & East at The FSE Group, said:
The FSE Group is excited to support the scaling of Fuse's technology, which has been designed to address sector-specific challenges and meet demand for rapid laboratory-quality diagnostic tests across multiple industries. By combining shared technology, manufacturing and commercial infrastructure with applications beyond traditional healthcare settings, Fuse has the potential to build valuable global partnerships, delivering value and real-world impact.
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Founder perspective
The business was founded by brothers Harry and Ralph Lamble, who previously started Sense Biodetection and developed the Veros COVID-19 rapid instrument-free molecular test during the pandemic. Sense was acquired by Sherlock Biosciences in 2023. The founders say that experience informed their approach to product development and commercialisation at Fuse.
In the announcement, Harry Lamble, Co-founder & CEO at Fuse Diagnostics, said:
This funding marks an important step in commercialising our Flip product platform and validating new assays with strategic partners across sectors where rapid, decentralised testing can make a meaningful difference. Built on years of scientific and engineering development, Flip is designed to give researchers faster, simpler tools for detecting pathogens and contaminants, helping to prevent disease and protect products, biological processes and the environment.
Beyond the quoted ambitions, the team’s track record in developing and bringing an instrument-free molecular test to market is a practical signal to partners and purchasers that Fuse understands regulatory and manufacturing hurdles.
The bigger picture
Fuse’s raise and product focus reflect ongoing interest from biotech investors in decentralised diagnostics and industrial applications of molecular testing. While much attention remains on medical diagnostics, there is growing venture and angel capital directed at non-clinical uses — from food supply chains to environmental monitoring — where speed and onsite reliability are increasingly valued.
For the UK ecosystem, the deal highlights Cambridge’s continuing role as a hub for diagnostic innovation and the shifting commercialisation path for technologies that emerged from the pandemic response. If Fuse can deliver on manufacturing scale and validated assays across its target sectors, it could demonstrate a repeatable route for instrument-free molecular tests to move from lab to field across Europe and beyond.
They've invested in Fuse Diagnostics
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