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

Oxford Capital announces its recent investment in 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, Oxford Innovation Finance 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.