Pixel-Flo

Pixel-Flo is a deep-tech company tackling one of the hardest problems in display manufacturing: moving millions of microscopic LEDs from a wafer onto a screen quickly and cheaply. This step, known in the industry as mass transfer, has kept MicroLED displays — which are brighter and more energy-efficient than the LCD and OLED panels in most devices — largely confined to labs and premium products.

Instead of relying on mechanical pick-and-place robotics that position each LED one at a time, Pixel-Flo suspends MicroLED chips in a fluid and uses patterned surfaces and fluid forces to guide them into place. This Continuous-Flow Mass Transfer approach runs continuously and extends standard industry coating tools, so a manufacturer can produce different panel sizes on the same line at a fraction of the processing and material cost.

Spun out of the University of Sheffield's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and built on research from Dr Rick Smith's lab, Pixel-Flo came through Northern Gritstone's NG Studios deep-tech venture builder. In July 2026 it raised £5.25 million in seed funding to move from laboratory development to industrial scale-up, grow its team and open new lab and office space, and has hired a Taiwan-based business development lead to reach display manufacturers in Asia.