Oxford Capital backs NavLive to bring real-time “scan-to-Plan” technology to construction and infrastructure sectors

Oxford, UK – 22 May 2025 – Oxford Capital is delighted to announce its recent investment into NavLive, a University of Oxford spin-out that uses artificial intelligence and LiDAR to turn any building into an accurate digital twin in minutes. The £4m round has Oxford Capital investing alongside SOSV and existing shareholders Oxford Science Enterprises, Clearance Capital, Britbots and AE Works. 

Chris Payne, Investor at Oxford Capital, said: 
“We’re proud to be backing NavLive as they set a new standard for 3D mapping and spatial intelligence in construction; bringing much needed innovation to the sector and indeed the previously cumbersome point cloud itself with their real-time feature inference. The team has an impressive technical foundation, now bolstered commercially by Chris Davison and Vikram Negi, we’re excited for their next phase of growth.” 

David Mott, Founder Partner at Oxford Capital, said: 
“Following a long history of backing Oxford spinout companies, we are pleased to be backing Navlive and commercialising more AI technology from the University.” 

Chris Davidson, CEO of Navlive, said: 
“NavLive is on a mission to transform the AEC, nuclear, and defence sectors through real-time AI-powered mapping – helping our users increase profit margins while driving environmental sustainability in the built environment. Born out of cutting-edge robotics and AI research at the University of Oxford, NavLive is proud to design and manufacture its technology in Oxford, with offices in both Oxford and London. We are delighted to be backed by Oxford Capital, whose strong track record in supporting deep tech ventures within the Oxford ecosystem makes them an ideal partner for our growth.” 

NavLive’s handheld scanner fuses AI with multi-sensor LiDAR to generate high-resolution point-clouds and output floor plans and elevations on-site – no tripod, targets or cloud post-processing required. Users simply walk through a space and receive CAD-ready outputs for RICS-grade surveys, cutting time and cost by up to 80 per cent. NavLive has already been deployed on major projects with Jacobs, AtkinsRealis, Mace, UK Atomic Energy Authority, with leading firms validating the technology across new-build, retrofit, nuclear-decommissioning and progress-monitoring use-cases. 

Founded in 2022 out of the Oxford Robotics Institute, NavLive has grown to 15 staff in Oxford’s city centre innovation hub. For Oxford Capital, the investment underscores its focus on supporting UK technology businesses with global potential through the Oxford Capital EIS Fund and the firm’s Co-Investor Circle. 

About Oxford Capital: Oxford Capital is a specialist investment manager focused on high-potential investments in early and growth stage UK technology companies. With over 25 years of experience, we invest in sectors such as digital health, fintech, and artificial intelligence and have a strong focus on delivering value to our investors. We have invested more than £500m across more than 100 EIS-qualifying companies. 

About the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the UK Venture Capital sector: The Enterprise Investment Scheme was established in 1994 to encourage investment into small companies with the potential for high growth. The scheme has helped over 59,000 UK companies raise £34 billion. It is an important factor making the UK’s startup ecosystem the most vibrant in Europe. The UK has more unicorn companies than any of its EU partners – more than France and Germany combined. The UK is the third largest venture capital market in the world after the USA and China. 

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Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  1. You could lose all the money you invest
    1. If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invested. Most start-up businesses fail.
  2. You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong
    1. Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.
    2. Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.
  3. You won’t get your money back quickly
    1. Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.
    2. The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
    3. If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.
  4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
    1. Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
    2. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/5-questions-ask-you-invest
  5. The value of your investment can be reduced
    1. The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
    2. These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.