Propulsion

What Propulsion does

Propulsion Ltd. is a UK-based (Teesside) venture development and investment company founded in 2021 by Jake Tompkins. The firm partners with innovators, entrepreneurs, companies, and organisations to develop, commercialise, and grow technology-led products and services across multiple sectors, including green energy, subsea, the blue economy, and med tech. Its core proposition spans strategic, operational, and investment support: technology and product commercialisation, R&D support, incubation and acceleration, value enhancement, deal origination, and business transformation consulting. The business model is professional services / advisory, with bespoke engagements and undisclosed pricing, complemented by direct investment into portfolio companies.

Propulsion's investment portfolio comprises three companies: Modus, an award-winning provider of marine robotic and autonomous underwater vehicle services for energy, telecommunications, and defence; Niche Medical, a specialist in small-volume niche medical devices partnered with the Academic Health Science Network; and Polyphotonix, a pioneer in organic light therapies for retinal diseases including Diabetic Retinopathy. The firm operates with a 5-person team and markets globally through direct engagement, relying on the founder's 22+ years of operating experience and board-level relationships across public, private, and third-sector organisations. Underlying technology exposure includes robotics, electric autonomous vehicles, and AI/ML applications, though these are delivered through portfolio companies rather than as in-house products. The company is privately held, registered in the UK (Companies House 10569649), and self-funded with no disclosed external funding rounds.

Name

Propulsion

Legal name

Propulsion Ltd.

Website

https://propulsion.ltd

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Propulsion Ltd. is a UK-based venture development and investment firm that provides strategic, operational, and investment support to innovators, entrepreneurs, companies, and organisations developing technology-led products across energy, subsea, blue economy, and med tech sectors. It also invests in a small portfolio of companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

United Kingdom

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic, Operational and Investment Support: Propulsion generates revenue through providing strategic, operational, and investment support to technology-led companies. Services include technology commercialisation, R&D, incubation and acceleration, value enhancement, deal origination, and business transformation consulting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Propulsion is a venture development and investment firm that works with innovators, entrepreneurs, companies and organisations to develop, commercialise and grow technology-led products, services and businesses. It delivers strategic advisory, operational support, research and development assistance, incubation and acceleration, value enhancement, deal origination, and business transformation consulting services, while also investing capital into highly innovative ventures across robotics, electric autonomous vehicles, AI/machine learning, green energy, subsea, the blue economy and med tech.

Product overview

Propulsion is a venture development and investment company that works with innovators, entrepreneurs, companies, and organisations to develop, commercialise, and grow products, services and technology. They provide strategic, operational, and investment support including technology/product/service commercialisation, research and development, incubation and acceleration, value enhancement, deal origination, and business transformation consulting services. Their portfolio of invested companies includes Modus (marine robotics and autonomous underwater vehicles for energy and defence), Niche Medical (niche medical device development), and Polyphotonix (organic light therapies for retinal diseases).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Advisory and Consulting Services Strategic advisory and consulting services provided to innovators, entrepreneurs, companies and organisations to support the development, commercialisation and growth of technology-led products, services and businesses.
• Operational and Business Transformation Support Operational support, business transformation and value enhancement services delivered alongside strategic advisory to help technology-led ventures scale and execute.
• Technology and Product Commercialisation Support Support for technology, product and service commercialisation, research and development, incubation and acceleration, designed to help clients move innovative technology from concept to market.
• Venture Investment and Deal Origination Capital investment in highly innovative ventures combined with deal origination and proprietary deal flow services for founders seeking backing and investors seeking opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Modus became one of the world's leading subsea innovators under leadership of Propulsion founder

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Academic Health Science NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio company Niche Medical is a partner of the Academic Health Science Network, specialising in product development with focus on small volume, niche medical devices.
• Industrial Digitalisation Technology CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJake Tompkins is a member of the advisory group for the Industrial Digitalisation Technology Centre, providing expertise in technology and innovation.
• European Regional Development FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJake Tompkins is a grant assessor for a European Regional Development Fund growth programme, contributing to innovation in SMEs.
• Institute of DirectorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJake Tompkins is a member of the Institute of Directors, maintaining professional credentials and network connections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Seedcamp: Long-established UK early-stage venture fund investing in technology founders across Europe, comparable to Propulsion as a UK-based source of pre-seed/seed capital for technology ventures.
• Techstars: Global accelerator and investor network that provides operational mentorship and seed capital to early-stage start-ups, comparable to Propulsion's incubation and acceleration services.
• Octopus Ventures: Large UK venture investor backing early-stage technology and deep-tech companies, providing a broader-incumbent comparison to Propulsion's smaller, founder-led venture development approach.
• Cambridge Innovation Capital: UK investor focused on deep-tech and science-led ventures spun out of the Cambridge ecosystem, comparable to Propulsion in backing technology commercialisation with operational involvement.

Direct peers

• Entrepreneur First: UK-based venture studio and investor that identifies and builds technology companies from inception, sharing Propulsion's model of combining operational support with equity investment in early-stage founders.
• True. UK venture builder that creates and funds technology companies with operational involvement, directly comparable to Propulsion's venture development and investment model.
• Founders Factory: London-based venture studio and fund that incubates and scales technology start-ups alongside corporate partners, comparable to Propulsion's incubation, acceleration and strategic advisory services.
• Antler: Global early-stage venture investor and founder accelerator with a strong UK presence, comparable to Propulsion in backing founders from idea stage and providing operational support.
• Zinc Ventures: UK-based venture builder that runs mission-driven programmes to build new technology companies from scratch, comparable to Propulsion's venture studio and incubation model.

Others

• Cognссеssor Ventures (consessor.co): Not a direct peer; included as an example of an ecosystem enabler (banking, content, conferences) that the UK venture development ecosystem relies on, comparable only as a peripheral participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propulsion-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Propulsion