| Literal LabsCompanies | Builds a form of AI based on logic rules rather than neural networks, designed to run on very little power on small chips.Profile- 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 - uktech.news/ai/ai-firm-from-ex-arm-exec-scores-4
- literal-labs.ai/about/
- literal-labs.ai/press/literal-labs-pre-seed-roun
- tech.eu/2025/06/02/literal-labs-raises-ps46m-to-
- literal-labs.ai/about/news/jim-darragh-appointed
| Newcastle upon Tyne (NE1 5JE) | Companies House · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov. · literal-labs.ai/press/literal-labs-pre-seed-roun · literal-labs.ai/about/news/ · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov. | verified |