Francis Crick Institute
About Francis Crick Institute
The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical research institute in London. Crunchbase describes it as a private organisation, and PitchBook gives its founding year as 2009. It is an institution, not an individual angel investor, so there is no personal founder or operator history to report.
The Crick runs a translation and innovation function. Its 2023-24 annual report says it operates the Idea to Innovation (i2i) and Innovation to Development (i2d) funding schemes for early-stage translational projects. It also reports a portfolio of 11 spin-out companies. Its innovation pages say it supports start-ups and offers lab space.
Barbara Domayne-Hayman joined the Crick in January 2018 as Entrepreneur-in-residence. According to UKBAA, she leads KQ Labs, an accelerator for UK start-ups applying data and AI to health. She is a separate person from the institute.
The Crick does not describe itself as an angel investor. PitchBook classifies it as an accelerator/incubator that is actively seeking new investments and lists 53 investments. Crunchbase lists 9 investments and names Achilles Therapeutics and Gamma Delta Therapeutics among its notable exits. Neither source gives cheque sizes for the Crick, and none are stated here.
PulseAI is the one AI round on the Lounge deals desk for the Crick: a seed round dated January 2026, with the amount undisclosed on Lounge. PitchBook lists the Crick as an investor in PulseAI, tagged as accelerator/incubator, alongside Innovation Ulster, Mortara Group, Techstart Ventures and Mayo Clinic Platform. PitchBook shows the round as $750K in total and gives no figure for the Crick's share. Crunchbase also records the PulseAI seed as the Crick's most recent investment.
PitchBook says the Crick seeks to invest in healthcare. Its public activity centres on spin-outs from its own science and on health startups, including those using data and AI through KQ Labs. Based in London, it works with UK startups. It has published no check size or stage policy.
- PulseAI: seed round in January 2026, with the Crick listed as an investor on PitchBook and Crunchbase.
- Achilles Therapeutics: cancer therapy company spun out of Crick and UCL research in 2016. Crunchbase lists it as a Crick exit.
- Gamma Delta Therapeutics: cancer immunotherapy spin-out launched in 2016 and later acquired by Takeda. Crunchbase lists it as a notable exit.
- Kanjo Health: listed by PitchBook as a 2024 Crick investment in healthcare enterprise systems.
- Pebblesense: listed by PitchBook as a 2024 Crick accelerator/incubator deal in application software.
- crunchbase.com/organization/the-francis-crick-institute/financial_deta
- pitchbook.com/profiles/company/460307-89
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/121383-37
- ukbaa.org.uk/futureforward/investing-in-health-tech/barbara-domayne-ha
- crick.ac.uk/news/2016-10-24-news-feature-crick%E2%80%99s-first-spinout
- crick.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-11/Francis%20Crick%20Institute%20
- crick.ac.uk/research/innovation-and-business
Investing activity
Francis Crick Institute appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Seed. The most recent is PulseAI (Seed, Jan 2026).
Francis Crick Institute most often invests alongside Innovation Ulster Limited and Mortara Group, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Francis Crick Institute
Is the Francis Crick Institute an angel investor?
Not in the usual sense. It is a research institute. PitchBook classes it as an accelerator/incubator, and Crunchbase lists it as an investor in a small number of companies.
Has the Francis Crick Institute invested in AI startups?
Yes. Crunchbase and PitchBook list it as an investor in PulseAI's seed round, dated January 2026. Its KQ Labs accelerator also targets health startups using data and AI.
How much does the Francis Crick Institute invest per startup?
No check size is public. PitchBook shows PulseAI's seed as $750K in total, but that is the whole round, not the Crick's share.
What stage and sectors does the Francis Crick Institute back?
PitchBook says it seeks to invest in healthcare. Its public activity covers early-stage spin-outs and health startups, including AI and data companies.
How can founders approach the Francis Crick Institute?
The Crick's innovation and business pages describe its start-up support and lab space. Its KQ Labs accelerator is aimed at UK health startups using data and AI, so check the Crick website for current programme details.
Is Francis Crick Institute an angel investor?
Yes. Francis Crick Institute invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Francis Crick Institute invested in?
Francis Crick Institute's AI investments include PulseAI. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Francis Crick Institute invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Francis Crick Institute has invested at Seed.
Who does Francis Crick Institute co-invest with?
Francis Crick Institute's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Innovation Ulster Limited (1 deal) and Mortara Group (1 deal).
How can founders reach Francis Crick Institute?
Founders on Lounge can see Francis Crick Institute's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Francis Crick Institute to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.