Xylo

Xylo is a UK govtech startup tackling the backlog in the planning system. Local-authority planning departments are understaffed and buried in paperwork, and applications routinely take months to move through review. Xylo's software targets that operational bottleneck rather than the policy that sits above it.

The company builds AI agents that handle the administrative work around a planning application — assembling case files, researching relevant local policy, and drafting first-pass officer reports — while the decision itself stays with the planning officer. The product was shaped by more than 300 hours of the founders shadowing officers inside councils, and in trials officers processed materially more applications per month while reporting higher accuracy.

Founded by Habs Kim and Dermot O'Riordan, Xylo signed Leeds City Council as an early design partner and raised a £2.8M pre-seed round led by CapitalT in July 2026, with participation from Common Magic, Sure Valley Ventures, Tiny VC and Endurance Ventures alongside angels from DeepMind, Gensyn and Dawn Capital.