Nottingham-based HALO X-ray Technologies closes growth round led by Agilent and UKI2S
This article covers HALO X-ray Technologies, a Nottingham-based healthtech startup, which has closed a growth funding round led by Agilent Technologies with follow-on participation from UK Innovation Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and the Midland Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). The funding is intended to complete regulatory approval for HALO's X-ray diffraction system and to support production and commercialisation, targeting baggage and cargo screening operations at airports and border agencies.
HALO X-ray Technologies, a Nottingham-based healthtech startup, has closed a growth funding round led by Agilent Technologies, described in its announcement as a multimillion-dollar investment that also saw participation from existing backers UK Innovation Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and the Midland Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). The cash is earmarked to complete regulatory approval for HALO’s X-ray diffraction system and to move the business towards production and commercial scale-up.
Why it matters
Airports and border agencies are under growing pressure to process passengers faster while maintaining security standards. Conventional X-ray systems can generate false positives that slow screenings and increase costs. HALO’s funding push aims to address that bottleneck by backing a technology that, if it performs as claimed under regulatory testing, could reduce manual checks and improve throughput without weakening detection capability.
The deal is also notable for combining corporate strategic capital from Agilent with regional and national public investment, a mix that signals continued willingness from different investor types to back deep-technology hardware ventures in the UK.
Inside the product
HALO says it has developed an advanced X-ray diffraction (XRD) system intended to give security operators a clearer read on the materials inside baggage and cargo. Where conventional X-ray imaging largely relies on density and shape to flag potential threats, XRD techniques can provide additional information about material composition, helping to distinguish benign items from genuine risks.
The company frames this capability as a way to reduce operator uncertainty and the number of secondary checks. The investment is intended to fund the final stages of regulatory approval ahead of production and commercial deployment.
Who are the investors?
The round was led by Agilent Technologies, a global instrumentation firm, with follow-on participation from UK Innovation Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and the Midland Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), both of which had previously invested in HALO.
Agilent’s involvement represents both a vote of confidence in the technology and a potential route to market expertise in spectroscopy and detection systems. In the announcement, Geoff Winkett, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent Spectroscopy & Vacuum Division of Agilent Technologies, said:
Agilent’s further investment in HALO reflects our confidence in both the transformative potential of their XRD technology and the quality of its team. We are excited to be supporting HALO as it moves towards commercialisation.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of healthtech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of healthtech angel investors in the UK
Founder perspective
HALO framed the round as a transformational milestone that will provide the runway to complete approvals and scale commercially. In the announcement, Simon Godber said:
This funding round is genuinely transformational for HALO. We are delighted that Agilent, UKI2S and MEIF — who know our business better than anyone — continue to support us through this next stage of growth. It is a vindication of our strategy and, most importantly, provides the runway needed to realise the potential of our XRD technology and a significant step closer towards commercial scale-up, bringing our technology to a global market. We are excited about what comes next.
The bigger picture
HALO’s raise follows a pattern in which UK hardware and imaging ventures increasingly attract blended funding: corporate strategic investors bring market access and product expertise, while public and regional funds de-risk development stages and help keep advanced manufacturing and testing capability in the UK. For regulators and procurement teams in transport security, the crucial test will be independent validation under operational conditions.
If HALO completes approvals and scales production, the technology could be of interest beyond airports — in cargo screening, ports and critical infrastructure protection — though commercial adoption will depend on cost, throughput, integration with existing systems and regulator acceptance.
This transaction underlines that UK-based deep-tech imaging companies can still pull together cross-sector capital — corporate, national and regional — to move from lab to market, a dynamic that matters for the competitiveness of UK and European advanced hardware startups.
They've invested in HALO X-ray Technologies
Get to know these healthtech investors
| Investors | Investment Focus | Startup Investments | Round Size | Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Agilent Technologies( ) Santa Clara, US  | ||||
 UK Innovation Science Seed Fund (UKI2S)( ) | ||||
 Midland Engine Investment Fund (MEIF)( ) | ||||
| All investors | All investor sectors | All funded startups | All funding rounds |
Click here for a full list of 7,589+ startup investors in the UK