Electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA closes £18m funding round, sets stage for rapid growth
10.9.2019 08:05:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
YASA, the world’s leading manufacturer of axial-flux electric motors and controllers for hybrid and pure electric vehicles, today announced closing a £18m (€20m) funding round. The new funding will enable the company to scale to meet rapidly growing customer demand from the automotive and aerospace sectors. Existing investors Parkwalk Advisors and Universal Partners have been joined in the round by Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI) and Inovia Capital.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190909005993/en/
YASA P400 axial-flux electric motor (Photo: Business Wire)
YASA’s innovative axial-flux electric motor and controller designs offer best-in-class power and torque densities and are ideally suited to both hybrid and pure electric applications, allowing manufacturers to improve electric vehicle performance whilst reducing vehicle weight.
This news follows YASA’s announcement in May 2019 that a luxury hybrid electric car now in series production is powered by a custom YASA motor.
Speaking of the new funding round, Charles Conn CEO at OSI said, “We have been tracking YASA’s progress for a number of years and are pleased to have the opportunity to invest in one of the UK’s most exciting high-growth technology companies that is well positioned to take advantage of the rapid move to electrification in both automotive and aerospace sectors.”
Patrick Pichette, General Partner at Inovia Capital said, “YASA exemplifies what we look for in our portfolio companies – a company with high-growth potential and a team that’s passionate about building a better world through the discovery and application of innovative technology. YASA’s electric motors and controllers are opening up entirely new opportunities for vehicle manufacturers, enabling them to create exciting electric driving experiences while reducing the impact on the environment. We look forward to enabling the company to grow and secure its place at the centre of the electrification revolution.”
Dr. Chris Harris, YASA’s CEO said, “This funding round is helping prepare the company to meet the rapidly increasing volume of demand for our electric motors and controllers from our automotive customers. We’re pleased to welcome OSI and Inovia onboard as investors – both share our long-term vision for the company and bring tremendous operational experience that will help us realise our full potential.”
<ends>
EDITOR’S NOTES
YASA is the world’s leading manufacturer of axial-flux electric motors and controllers for automotive and aerospace applications. YASA’s proprietary electric motor and controller products offer the smallest, lightest form factor for a given power and torque requirement. The privately-held company is based in Oxford, the UK’s automotive manufacturing heartland. Investors include Parkwalk Advisors, Universal Partners, Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI) and Inovia Capital.
Inovia Capital https://inovia.vc
Inovia Capital is a full-stack venture firm that partners with audacious founders to build enduring global technology companies. We seek to transform venture capital by perfecting the craft of investing in people first. We roll up our sleeves to serve founders with dedicated, long-term mentorship, a global talent network, and strategic support for global scale. Together, we rewrite the rules of complex legacy industries, push technology frontiers and pursue bold visions of a better future. Inovia Capital manages over US $1B across five funds including early and growth stages, and holds offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, San Francisco and London.
Oxford Sciences Innovation https://www.oxfordsciencesinnovation.com
OSI is the venture firm formed in partnership with Oxford University to develop its advanced science into new platform companies. OSI has raised £600m from GV, Lansdowne, Sequoia, Temasek, Tencent, Wellcome and other global investors, and has been helping scientists build businesses that address global challenges - from infectious diseases to renewable energy - since 2015.
Parkwalk http://parkwalkadvisors.com
Parkwalk is the largest growth EIS fund manager, backing world-changing technologies emerging from the UK’s leading universities and research institutions. With £250m of assets under management, it has invested in over 100 companies across its flagship Parkwalk Opportunities EIS Fund as well as the award-winning enterprise and innovation funds Parkwalk manages for the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Bristol.
Parkwalk invests in businesses creating solutions to real-world challenges, with IP-protected innovations, across a range of sectors including life sciences, AI, quantum computing, advanced materials, genomics, cleantech, future of mobility, MedTech and big data.
Universal Partners http://www.universalpartners.mu
Universal Partners Limited (“Universal Partners”), an investment holding company domiciled in Mauritius and listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius and JSE Securities Exchange, is an investor in owner managed, founder led, high potential companies that require growth capital and strategic assistance to achieve their potential. Universal Partners has an experienced Board of Directors and Management team, who have grown a variety of businesses in different industries and geographic regions, in private and public markets. Universal Partners has to date invested in a portfolio of fast growing companies, where it has been able to partner with management and other shareholders to facilitate achievement of ambitious business plans.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190909005993/en/
Contact information
Tamara Sword
media@yasa.com
+44 (0)7906 638351
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
From Network Automation to Agentic NetOps: NetBrain Sets the Standard for Deploying AI in Network Operations29.5.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
NetBrain Technologies, Inc. today announced major new platform features that advance Agentic NetOps from an emerging category to operational reality. NetBrain's clients are already deploying agents that are diagnosing and remediating issues across complex multi-vendor enterprise networks. These new features further extend the platform with new agent tooling, cross-domain context, and open interfaces for the broader agentic enterprise. Early customer outcomes show the magnitude of the shift: A leading health insurer used NetBrain's Deep Diagnosis agent to diagnose and resolve a weeks old VPN connectivity issue in under five minutes. A large manufacturer resolved a critical device issue with a single prompt, isolating the root cause across the network path in under 20 minutes, saving hundreds of hours of engineer time, shrinking MTTR by more than 95%. A global telecommunications firm found NetBrain's context-grounded agents outperformed a stand-alone frontier LLM on a persistent firewall
Adtran resolves long-running patent litigation, reinforcing commitment to defend innovation29.5.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Adtran today announced it has resolved a patent litigation matter, resulting in a full settlement and dismissal of all claims with prejudice. The case, initiated in 2020 by a non-practicing entity asserting five patents, was transferred to the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 2021 following a successful motion by Adtran. Adtran subsequently filed counterclaims, including bad-faith patent assertion under Alabama statutory law. The settlement includes payment to Adtran to resolve its counterclaims. Terms of the agreement remain confidential. “This outcome reflects a disciplined and consistent approach to protecting our innovation and our customers,” said Justin Ferguson, SVP and general counsel at Adtran. “We take all claims seriously, but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves when assertions lack merit. Situations like this place unnecessary strain on technology providers and divert resources from advancing networks and services. By advancing our counterclaim
Meiji Seika Pharma Invests in GHIC’s Global Health Security Fund29.5.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and Representative Director: Toshiaki Nagasato) today announced that it has committed to invest in the Global Health Security Fund (GHSF), which is sponsored by Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC), a New York-based nonprofit organization. Through this investment, Meiji Seika Pharma will support the acceleration of innovations addressing critical global health challenges, including pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). GHIC is a mission‑driven nonprofit organization that deploys private investment strategies to generate both global health impact and financial returns. GHIC recently closed its second fund in GHSF. With more than a decade of experience investing in the field of infectious disease, GHIC has contributed to addressing major global health challenges. Its portfolio companies have successfully commercialized more than a dozen products, collectively reaching over 600 million people wo
IFF Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Food Ingredients Business to CVC29.5.2026 13:50:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF), a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health and biosciences, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Food Ingredients business to funds advised by CVC Capital Partners, a leading global private markets manager, in a transaction that values the business at approximately $4.3 billion, representing an enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x. As part of the transaction, IFF has chosen to retain an approximately 10% minority equity interest in the business, or approximately $200 million, permitting continued collaboration and cooperation between IFF and Food Ingredients and allowing IFF and its shareholders to participate in future value creation under its new ownership. The transaction marks a significant step in IFF’s portfolio transformation and is expected to strengthen the company’s focus on its innovation-driven businesses: Taste, Scent, and Health & Biosciences. Following the transaction, IFF will be
BeOne Medicines Establishes Standard for Long-Term Disease Control in CLL with BRUKINSA 78-Month Data at ASCO 202629.5.2026 13:00:00 EEST | Press release
BeOne Medicines Ltd. (Nasdaq: ONC; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, is advancing the treatment paradigm in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. With extensive long-term follow-up, the SEQUOIA study of BRUKINSA® (zanubrutinib) reinforces its role as the foundational BTK inhibitor, showing sustained disease control over years of therapy. These findings are further supported by real-world evidence across three large analyses encompassing more than 250,000 patients, underscoring consistent effectiveness and safety in clinical practice. Additionally, BEQALZI™ (sonrotoclax), which was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and its development in combination with BRUKINSA (ZS) highlight the potential for next-generation, time-limited treatment approaches in CLL. Amit Agarwal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology, BeOne Medicines, said: “CLL is a disease patients live with
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom