UK BUSINESS AI UNIVERSE: Chips and hardware: Other companies

Founded

null (spun out of Newcastle University)

Founders

Alex Yakovlev — academic co-founder (spun the company out); Rishad Shafik — academic co-founder (spun the company out)

Chief executive

Noel Hurley — from 2023 (former Arm VP)

Other leaders

Leon Fedden — chief technology officer (former AI deep learning platform lead, AstraZeneca)

Hq

Newcastle (England: North East); other_offices: null

Headcount

null ("has since doubled its headcount", June 2025)

What it does

A Newcastle University spin-out building logic-based AI models that it says are faster and use less energy than neural networks. In June 2025 it said its first commercial product was due later that year.

Research focus

logic-based AI; energy-efficient models

Models and products

first commercial product announced as due later in 2025 — June 2025 (name null)

Funding total as published

4,600,000 GBP (pre-seed) — as of 2 June 2025 — https://www.uktech.news/ai/ai-firm-from-ex-arm-exec-scores-4-6m-investment-20250602

Rounds found

2025-06-02 — pre-seed — 4,600,000 GBP — Northern Gritstone (lead), Mercuri (co-lead) — Sure Valley Ventures, Cambridge Future Tech SPV, angels (already DEAL-CHIP-010 / DEAL-LAB-2018)

Status now

null — no news after June 2025 found in this round (the deal file's 13 November 2025 "rename" entry was not checked).

Legal name

Not stated (Companies House number 14746541 shown on site — lead to check)

Founded (Labs Round 8)

2023 (spun out of Newcastle University)

Founders (Labs Round 8)

Alex Yakovlev — co-founder; Rishad Shafik — co-founder (company builder: Cambridge Future Tech)

Chief executive (Labs Round 8)

Noel Hurley — from 2023 (former Arm executive)

Chief scientist or research lead

Leon Fedden — CTO

Other leaders (Labs Round 8)

Mike Park — CFO; Daniel P Dykes — Head of Product; Jim Darragh — Non-Executive Chairman (from 4 Mar 2026); Jem Davies — non-executive director; Ole-Christoffer Granmo — chair, Technical Steering Committee

Hq (Labs Round 8)

Newcastle upon Tyne (England: North East); other_offices: not stated

What it does (Labs Round 8)

Literal Labs builds AI models from logic rather than neural networks ("Logic-Based Networks", from Tsetlin machine research). It says they run faster and with far less energy on ordinary processors, without GPUs, and give the same output for the same input. ModelMill is its platform for training and deploying them.

Research focus (Labs Round 8)

Tsetlin machines and logic-based AI for edge devices; explainable, energy-efficient inference.

Models and products (Labs Round 8)

ModelMill — platform to train and deploy Logic-Based Networks — not stated; Logic-Based Networks (LBNs) — logic-based AI models, claimed up to 50x faster inference and 50x less energy than neural networks — not stated

Funding total as published (Labs Round 8)

£4.6m — as of 2 Jun 2025 — https://www.literal-labs.ai/press/literal-labs-pre-seed-round.html

Rounds found (Labs Round 8)

2 Jun 2025 — pre-seed — £4.6m — Northern Gritstone and Mercuri (co-leads) — Sure Valley Ventures, Cambridge Future Tech SPV, angels (already DEAL-LAB-2018 / DEAL-CHIP-010)

Awards and programmes

Global AI Excellence Awards, AI Research & Innovation prize — Mar 2026; National AI Awards 2025 AI Innovation shortlist — 2025

Status now (Labs Round 8)

Trading; appointed Jim Darragh as non-executive chairman in March 2026.

Labs Round 7 and Labs Round 8 deep profile (30–31 Oct 2026), as the researchers wrote it; confidence: verified (funding: company plus trade); people one source.

Sources

1. uktech.news/ai/ai-firm-from-ex-arm-exec-scores-4
2. literal-labs.ai/about/
3. literal-labs.ai/press/literal-labs-pre-seed-roun
4. tech.eu/2025/06/02/literal-labs-raises-ps46m-to-
5. literal-labs.ai/about/news/jim-darragh-appointed