SLANT powers growth with zero-emission vehicle tech

Bristol-based SLANT is rethinking how goods move through cities with electrification units that turn any two-wheel trailer into a smart, zero-emission vehicle.

With tailored business growth support from Innovate UK Business Growth, delivered by Business West in the South West, SLANT has secured more than £120,000 in funding, filed a patent, doubled its workforce to four employees and is now preparing for commercial trials that could unlock further national and international growth.

The company is on a mission to make urban logistics cleaner, smarter and more efficient. Its flagship innovation - a modular Electrification Unit, a small plug-in power system that attaches to any two-wheel trailer and provides electric-assisted movement - instantly turns standard cycle trailers into powered, zero-emission vehicles.

Artemis Fragkopoulos, CEO of SLANT, explains: “We reduce the effort people need to move things in cities. Our technology is designed for the last mile - the most expensive and polluting part of the delivery chain.”

The Electrification Unit uses advanced sensor fusion to deliver electric-assisted support, adapting to terrain, gradient and user effort in real time. For cycle logistics - already 60 percent more efficient and 90 percent more sustainable than van-based delivery - it represents a step change in productivity and decarbonisation.

SLANT began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in 2023 as it transitioned from an early-stage concept to a company focused on commercialising electric mobility technology. Following a detailed needs assessment, Innovation and Growth Specialist, Stephen Robertshaw, co-developed a tailored action plan with the business, identifying funding and intellectual property (IP) protection as the most effective routes to accelerate growth.

The goal was to help SLANT achieve key product development milestones, secure its core technology through a patent, and build the commercial credibility needed to attract investment and future international partnerships.

Artemis says: “Stephen gave us constructive feedback and healthy pushback. That led to a radical shift in our business plan - and everything changed.”

An initial £18,000 grant from the University of Bristol’s New Enterprise Competition in June 2024 gave the company the funding to dedicate more time to the business and move beyond what Artemis calls the “side-job struggle.” This was followed by £23,000 from the West of England Combined Authority’s Business Innovation Fund and a £40,000 Impact U Pathfinder Award via the University of Oxford in October 2024, which together enabled SLANT to transition to full-time development, develop its product and strengthen its commercial capabilities.

By mid-2025, SLANT had secured £20,000 from the University of Plymouth to test its Electrification Unit with Royal Mail, followed by an Innovate UK Business Growth Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) / Catapult grant, that funded collaboration with the Connected Places Catapult, to prepare for a pilot with a Bristol-based cycle delivery company.

SLANT has since received support through the Freight Innovation Fund, funded by the Department for Transport, enabling the company to progress from designing the pilot to preparing for its delivery. The RTO grant will be used alongside this funding to support technical development and ensure the trial can be carried out effectively.

Given the novelty of SLANT’s modular electrification technology, which sits between e-bike and logistics regulation, this support is proving essential in navigating regulations and building relationships with key industry stakeholders through the Catapult.

To safeguard its innovation, SLANT also completed an IP Audit, delivered by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and available to Innovate UK Business Growth clients. The audit identified the core elements of the company’s technology that were novel and commercially valuable, leading to a patent application that secured SLANT’s first-mover advantage in the UK.

Artemis adds: “It gave us a really clear sense of direction. We understood what we needed to protect - and how to protect it. Having that foundation in place gives us confidence as we move into trials and seek investment.”

Since working with Innovate UK Business Growth, SLANT has doubled its workforce to four employees, accelerated product development and strengthened its investment proposition. Its first customer - a Bristol-based cycle logistics company - will begin testing the prototype this year, while discussions are under way to adapt the system for new applications such as a watering trailer for orchards, a facilities management trailer for universities, and electrifying existing trailers for mobile vendors and logistics companies.

Artemis says: “Our next steps are to finalise development, test with our partner and raise investment. No one else is producing this technology in the UK. We’re ready to scale nationally and expand internationally.”

SLANT’s innovation is already delivering tangible benefits for the UK economy - from greener inner-city transport to improved logistics efficiency for small businesses. By reducing the carbon footprint and cost of last-mile delivery, it contributes directly to the UK Government’s Net Zero targets and enhances urban productivity.