From Warships to Wind Farms: Hexigone Secures £1.2m to Accelerate Corrosion Inhibitor Technology
Hexigone Inhibitors Ltd, an advanced materials company developing smart corrosion inhibitors for the global coatings market, has secured a £1.2 million funding package to accelerate commercial deployment of its sustainable corrosion protection technology across industrial, marine, energy and defence markets.
The funding includes a £500,000 investment from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund’s (UKI2S) Defence & Security Seed portfolio, supported by the Ministry of Defence alongside £300,000 from angel investors. The investment also unlocked an additional £400,000 UK Government grant to support R&D into the next generation of Hexigone’s award-winning anticorrosion technology.
Headquartered in the UK, Hexigone develops advanced ion-exchange corrosion inhibitors designed to increase formulation efficiency for manufacturers, while reducing reliance on traditional inhibitors that contain heavy metals and or have a higher carbon burden.
Hexigone’s proprietary Intelli-ion® technology has broad applications across protective coatings used in infrastructure, offshore energy, marine, transport and defence sectors, where corrosion remains a significant operational challenge. The smart technology is activated only when corrosion begins to occur and is engineered to perform at low loading levels, helping coatings manufacturers improve formulation efficiency while reducing cost and carbon impact.
With manufacturing fully scaled and the company already supplying Tier 1 manufacturers globally, the funding will support continued product development and accelerate international commercialisation alongside enhancing circular economy manufacturing capabilities.
Patrick Dodds, Founder & CEO, Hexigone commented on the raise, “with raw material costs continuing to rise, coatings manufacturers are looking for technologies that maximise coating performance and support sustainability targets - while reducing overall system costs.
Hexigone’s Intelli-ion® technology can deliver this – and the investment enables us to accelerate commercial deployment, expand collaborations with coatings manufacturers and continue developing advanced corrosion solutions for demanding industrial environments.
UKI2S immediately recognised both the commercial potential and strategic importance of what we’re building. Having investors who understand the long-term value of advanced materials innovation is hugely important as we scale internationally.
The round remains open to secure a further £300–£500k to support the next phase of commercial growth, and we welcome discussions with investors aligned with the future of sustainable technologies.”
Alex Leigh, Managing Director, UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), added: “Hexigone is an excellent example of the kind of dual-use innovation the Defence & Security portfolio is designed to support.
Advanced materials and protective technologies play a critical role in maintaining operational resilience across defence infrastructure, particularly in harsh maritime environments where corrosion creates significant economic and operational challenges.
Hexigone’s technology combines strong commercial potential with clear strategic relevance, offering a more environmentally responsible approach to corrosion resistance while supporting long-term resilience for critical assets.
We’re delighted to support the company as it scales its technology, strengthens UK advanced manufacturing capability, and develops solutions with significant applications across both defence and commercial industries.”
Paul Wilkinson, Head of Ventures, UK Royal Navy added, “Innovative technologies that improve the resilience, sustainability and operational performance of critical defence infrastructure are critical to the Royal Navy’s warfighting capability.
“Hexigone’s work demonstrates the strength of the UK’s advanced materials sector and the value of supporting early-stage companies developing solutions to protecting critical infrastructure in both defence and commercial applications.
“It’s encouraging to see UKI2S’s funding to accelerate technologies contributing to the long-term protection and durability of critical defence assets operating in some of the worlds harshest environments.”
As manufacturers face continued pressure from rising raw material costs, demand is growing for inhibitor technologies that deliver greater formulation efficiency as well as performance and lower carbon. Hexigone is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution in advanced industrial coatings technology.