Loughborough University Spinout TransHumanity secures £400k for AptIq, the first agentic AI platform for transport data.

TransHumanity Ltd., a spinout from Loughborough University, has secured approximately £400,000 in pre-seed investment. The round was led by SFC Capital, the UK’s most active seed-stage investor, with additional investment from Silicon Valley-based Plug and Play. 

TransHumanity’s vision is to empower faster, smarter human decisions by transforming data into accessible intelligence using large language model based agentic AI. Its first product, AptIq, is designed to help transport authorities quickly analyse data and models, turning days of analysis into seconds. By simply asking questions in plain English, users can gain instant insights to support key initiatives like congestion reduction, road safety, creation of business cases and net-zero targets. 

“I am proud to see my rigorous research translated into trusted real-world AI innovation for the transport sector,” says Dr Haitao He, Co-founder and Director of TransHumanity.

“With this investment, we can now realise my Future Leaders Fellowship vision, scaling a technology that empowers authorities across the UK to deliver integrated, net-zero transport.” 

Developed from rigorous research by Dr Haitao He, a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in Transport AI at Loughborough University, AptIq, previously known as TraffEase, has already garnered significant recognition. The technology was named a Top 10 finalist for the 2024 Manchester Prize for AI innovation and was recently highlighted as one of the Top 40 UK tech start-ups at London Tech Week by the UK Department for Business and Trade. 

“We are excited to back TransHumanity,” says Adam Beveridge, Investment Manager at SFC Capital. “The combination of cutting-edge research, a proven founding team, clear market demand, and positive societal impact makes this exactly the kind of high-growth venture we are committed to supporting.” 

AptIq is currently in a test deployment with Nottingham City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester, with plans to expand to other city, regional, and national authorities across the UK within the next 12 months. With a product roadmap that includes diverse data sources, advanced analytics and giving the user full control over the AI tool when required, interest from the transport sector is already high. 

Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, notes, “I am delighted to see TransHumanity fast-tracked from lab to investment-ready spinout. This journey was accelerated by TransHumanity’s selection as a finalist in the prestigious Manchester Prize and shows what’s possible when the University’s ambition aligns with national innovation policy.” 

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