Case study - Hexatra Technologies Ltd

  • Tuesday, March 17, 2026
  • Posted By The Growth Company

Forging an Innovation Ecosystem: How Innovate UK Business Growth accelerated Hexatra’s journey from concept to commercial-ready clean-energy solutions

Background

Hexatra Technologies Ltd — previously Hammond Technologies — is an emerging clean‑energy innovator developing an integrated multi‑energy hub providing off‑grid, resilient, modular power solutions suited to telecoms, defence, remote infrastructure, and future hydrogen‑enabled microgrids. Their system integrates electrical generation, storage, hydrogen production, atmospheric harvesting, and communications into a single scalable platform.

The company transitioned branding from Hammond Technologies to Hexatra Technologies during their investment preparation phase, as confirmed through founder communications

Challenge

Before engagement with Innovate UK Business Growth, the company faced several critical barriers:

  • Investment Readiness Gaps: GROWTHmapper® diagnostics revealed significant development needs across budgeting, systems, processes, and investment readiness. Many areas sat in “C” maturity or “requires urgent attention” ranges.
  • Route‑to‑Market Uncertainty: Scores for International Strategy and Route to Market also sat below optimal levels, indicating the need for structured commercial pathways and market access support.
  • Pitch & Financial Narrative: Emails show clear challenges in articulating a coherent business model, raise strategy, and financial roadmap. Innovate UK specialists identified missing financial planning, unclear business model messaging, and gaps in future investment strategy.
  • Ecosystem Navigation: The company needed clearer access to Catapults, RTOs, and innovation partners to progress technical validation, hydrogen feasibility, pilot deployments, and certification.

These challenges created barriers to raising capital, validating technology with partners, and entering early markets.

Solution

Innovate UK Business Growth delivered a multi‑layered, ecosystem‑driven intervention:

1. Specialist Advisory Support

  • Continuous support from Innovation & Growth Specialists including Luke Thomas, Helen Bartley, and Tracy Eyres. Emails reflect ongoing review, pitch deck development, financial critique, and structured planning.
  • Diagnostic support via GROWTHmapper® provided a clear baseline for innovation management, investment readiness, and internationalisation progress.

2. Ecosystem & Partnership Building

Innovate UK Business Growth facilitated numerous ecosystem connections, including:

  • Catapult / RTO engagement: Hexatra was supported with EOI submissions and enquiries to CPI and AMRC for collaboration on advanced materials and battery innovation.
  • Battery Cell Investment Readiness Pathway: The company received feedback on its previous application and guidance on improved positioning.
  • Industry Events & Networks: The pitch deck shows Hexatra already engaging with NWRDSC, BEPA, and Enterprise Europe Network — many of which were reinforced by Innovate UK support.

3. Commercial & Market Development Support

  • Specialists helped strengthen messaging around the business model, revenue streams (capital sales, EaaS, hydrogen), and market proposition.
  • The pitch deck, reviewed with Innovate UK guidance, clearly defines commercial markets experiencing grid constraints, hydrogen growth, and microgrid demand.
  • Support in clarifying roadmap for future raises, pilot deployments, certification, and scaling.

4. Structured Action Planning

  • Action plans and follow‑up meetings created clear next steps for data capture, pitch refinement, investment approach, and technical validation pathways.

Impact

Strengthened Investment Proposition

Through structured review, Hexatra significantly improved its investment readiness. The enhanced deck now presents:

  • Clear problem-solution fit underpinned by UK grid strain and global hydrogen demand.
  • Defined revenue models across capital sales, EaaS, hydrogen, and telecom hosting.
  • A coherent funding ask targeting 12–15 months of activity including pilot deployments, certification, and supply chain readiness.

Enhanced Ecosystem Positioning

With Innovate UK Business Growth’s connections and guidance, the company advanced relationships with CPI, AMRC, and wider RTOs — enabling feasibility studies, materials development discussions, and clearer pathways into Catapult-backed technical validation.

Defined Route to Market and Growth Trajectory

Support helped Hexatra articulate a clear pathway through:

  • Pilot microgrid deployments
  • Certification & field validation
  • Scaling manufacturing and supply chain
  • Vertical integration opportunities
  • Hydrogen supplier positioning by 2030

Strategic Insights on Innovation & Internationalisation

GROWTHmapper® insights enabled the business to identify operational gaps and align leadership around strategy, innovation management, finance, and commercialisation.