Ploughshare Spin-out, Sentinel Photonics, Successfully Completes Series A Investment Round

We are delighted to share that our spin-out, Sentinel Photonics, has successfully completed its Series A investment round in April. This is a major milestone for a company that was born from UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) research and has grown into a critical defence capability whose solutions are used by the UK MOD. The funding will accelerate the delivery of advanced laser detection and protection systems to counter emerging battlefield threats, enhancing the survivability and readiness of UK and allied forces.

This investment round was led by allied investors from Canada (Galvion Inc) and Belgium (FNX, the investment arm of FN Browning), demonstrating strong international confidence, particularly among NATO partners, in UK defence innovation.

About Sentinel Photonics

Sentinel Photonics’ solutions deliver battlefield-proven protection systems that help to safeguard military, law enforcement, and security personnel and assets from invisible laser threats that can compromise missions or cause permanent harm.

Their story is now 10 years in the making – first beginning in 2016, when Co-Founders Sean Tipper and Chris Burgess were Dstl scientists developing advanced laser detection solutions to protect both people and vehicles in the field. Between 2017-2020, the Intellectual Property (IP) Group within Dstl worked closely with Tipper and Burgess, resulting in four patents being granted.

From here, we at Ploughshare – MOD’s trusted commercialisation partner and technology transfer experts, who have brought over 140 technologies to the market and created 16 spin-out companies – worked alongside Sean and Chris to create the spin-out company, Sentinel Photonics. Ploughshare provided both the critical early-phase investment (alongside the British Private Equity Group), and full support to build the company and take their products to market. Now six years on, our team continue to work closely with Sentinel Photonics to support expansion and market growth.

What does this investment success mean for UK defence?

The successful close of this investment round is a significant win not only for Sentinel Photonics itself, but for the wider defence innovation ecosystem, signalling the UK’s ability to turn defence innovation into deployable, lifesaving capability, supported by trusted partnerships. It also demonstrates how sustained public sector commitment can bring in private investment, supporting the growth of UK based, mid-sized defence technology companies – a critical component of national sovereign capability, resilience and industrial depth.

This milestone highlights the effectiveness of our long-term, collaborative approach – bringing together researchers, IP specialists, commercialisation experts, and MOD stakeholders, who have all played critical roles in turning early‑stage innovations into real-world impact. It also reflects the ambitions of the Defence Industrial Plan: world‑class science developed in government, translated into a growing UK‑based company delivering strategic, economic and operational impact.

Many congratulations to Sentinel Photonics, and everyone involved in this journey.