Longwall Venture Partners LLP is a UK specialist deeptech venture capital firm founded in 2008, based on Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. Over nearly two decades, the firm has built a track record of turning complex, early-stage UK science and engineering research into commercially viable global businesses, investing across life sciences, physical sciences, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and defence and aerospace. Longwall has backed more than 50 deeptech companies across its four funds.The firm's first fund, Oxford Technology ECF LP (OTECF), was one of the first investors in OrganOx when it spun out of Oxford University in 2008. OrganOx was acquired by Terumo Corporation in 2025 for over $1.5B, the largest acquisition of an Oxford University spinout to date, delivering a 19.2x return for Longwall's investors. OTECF has to date returned 6x to private LPs across five exits.
Longwall backs early-stage UK science, engineering, and healthcare startups that are highly technical, pre-market-fit, and often emerging directly from academic or industrial research.
The firm focuses on advanced manufacturing, life sciences, defence and aerospace, and clean energy, with a hands-on, patient capital approach to long-cycle deeptech commercialisation. Longwall 4 is also accredited by the UK's National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF).
Longwall 4 completed a first close of ~$110M USD (£86.3M) in May 2026, targeting a final close of ~$127M USD (£100M).
The British Business Bank made a cornerstone commitment of up to ~$64M USD (£50M) through its Enterprise Capital Funds programme, the fourth consecutive Longwall fund the Bank has backed. Additional LPs include a pension fund and private individuals.
The fund plans to make initial investments of ~$640K–$2.5M USD (£0.5M–£2M) into 14–16 companies, with significant capital reserved for follow-on. Longwall 4 is the firm's largest fund to date.
Leadership
David Denny is Managing Partner and co-founder, focused on physical science and engineering opportunities. He began his career as a graduate engineer, completed an MBA at Harvard Business School, and joined Z Corp, an MIT 3D printing startup, before entering venture in 2004.
Matthew Frohn is Managing Partner and co-founder, focused on life sciences and healthcare. He holds a D.Phil in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford and has over 25 years of early-stage investing experience, with pre-venture experience spanning clinical pathology, virology, and drug discovery.
Jane Burgoyne is Managing Partner and CFO, responsible for finance and operations across the firm and portfolio. A Chartered Accountant, she trained at PricewaterhouseCoopers and has worked in early-stage venture capital since 2006.
Rebecca Todd is Partner, joining with Fund 3 in 2017 and focusing predominantly on life sciences and medical technology. She holds a PhD in Genetics from Nottingham University and an MBA from Oxford University.
Investment Strategy
Longwall invests at the earliest stages, typically pre-market-fit and highly theoretical, into UK companies emerging from academic research and industrial R&D. The firm takes a hands-on, long-term partnership approach from day one, with the patience to support companies through extended development cycles before commercial traction. Initial ticket sizes in Longwall 4 range from ~$640K to ~$2.5M USD, with reserves for follow-on. The firm has operated continuously since 2008 with British Business Bank backing across all four fund generations.
Notable Investments
Notable Exits
contact@longwallventures.com
David Denny — Managing Partner
Matthew Frohn — Managing Partner
Jane Burgoyne — Managing Partner
jane@longwallventures.com
Rebecca Todd — Partner
United Kingdom
