Hydra Manufacturing secures £577k to scale advanced ceramic production
Leeds, UK, 19th March 2026
Hydra Manufacturing, a Leeds-based advanced manufacturing company, has raised £320,000 in funding led by SFC Capital to accelerate the commercialisation of its advanced ceramic additive manufacturing technology.
Hydra Manufacturing is a University of Leeds spinout founded in 2024 by a team of engineers with more than 35 years’ combined experience in digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing, Hydra specialises in production-grade ceramic manufacturing using conventional ceramic feedstocks. The company’s technology bridges the gap between prototyping and scalable part production, enabling manufacturers to integrate advanced ceramic capability directly into their facilities.
The investment will support continued technology development, commercial deployment and team expansion as Hydra grows its presence in high-performance engineering sectors.
The latest equity investment follows previous grant funding support from Innovate UK through the Advanced Machinery & Productivity Institute (AMPI), bringing total funding secured to approximately £577,000.
Louis Masters, CEO of Hydra Manufacturing, said:
“This funding marks an important step for Hydra. We have developed a process that enables production-grade ceramic manufacturing in a way that is more commercially viable and accessible. With SFC Capital’s backing, we are accelerating our next phase of growth and expanding our reach across advanced engineering markets.”
Adam Beveridge, Principal at SFC Capital, said:
"Advanced ceramics are critical to high-performance engineering, but scaling production has always been the bottleneck. Louis and the Hydra team have built a system that moves ceramics from prototyping into real manufacturing. We are proud to back them."
About Hydra Manufacturing
Hydra Manufacturing Ltd is a UK-based advanced manufacturing company specialising in production-grade ceramic additive manufacturing. Established in 2024, Hydra develops hybrid manufacturing systems designed to bridge the gap between rapid prototyping and scalable ceramic part production, enabling customers to integrate advanced ceramic capability directly into their facilities.
Website:www.hydra-manufacturing.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/hydra-manufacturing/
Hydra Manufacturing team
About SFC Capital
SFC Capital is the UK’s most active seed-stage investor, providing seed capital and support to promising British startups. By combining our leading investment funds with our angel syndicate, we have created a unique model that provides investors with diversified exposure to high-potential SEIS and EIS-qualifying businesses. Since 2012, SFC has invested in over 550 startups and partnered with the likes of British Business Investments to support innovation across all UK regions. To learn more about what we do and see our portfolio, visit www.sfccapital.com.
