Agilent Technologies has led a multimillion-dollar investment round in HALO X-ray Technologies, deepening its backing of the Nottingham-based developer of security screening systems. Existing investors UK Innovation Science Seed Fund and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund also participated as HALO moves toward regulatory approval and commercial production. The precise financing amount was not disclosed, but HALO said the capital will help complete approval work, prepare for manufacturing, and expand commercial activities.
Improving Screening Precision
HALO is developing equipment based on X-ray diffraction, or XRD, which analyzes the material composition of objects rather than relying only on conventional X-ray images. The company says this approach can provide operators with more precise information when distinguishing genuine threats from harmless items, supporting faster and better-informed decisions. By reducing uncertainty and unnecessary secondary checks, the technology is intended to improve passenger throughput, lower operational costs, and ease bottlenecks without weakening security standards.
Moving Toward Commercial Deployment
The funding is expected to support regulatory approval for HALO’s advanced screening system before the company begins production and scales its market activity. Reaching that stage would shift the business from research and product development toward deployment in operational environments, including airport checkpoints and border facilities. HALO did not announce an approval date, production target, commercial launch schedule, or new customer contracts with the investment disclosure.
Building on an Earlier Funding Round
The transaction continues a relationship established through HALO’s previous financing, when UKI2S led a £2 million Series A round in 2023 alongside Agilent and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund. That capital was directed toward advancing the company’s XRD screening solutions, supporting regulatory work, and preparing field deployments for aviation security and contraband detection. The return of all three investors indicates continued confidence in HALO’s progress, although the announcement did not disclose its valuation or each backer’s contribution.
Research Origins and Technology Platform
HALO emerged from research conducted by the Imaging Science Group at Nottingham Trent University and the Cranfield Forensic Institute at Cranfield University. Its patented technology was pioneered by Professor Paul Evans and Professor Keith Rogers, with the company working to make X-ray diffraction fast enough for practical, real-time applications. The broader platform could eventually serve security, medical, and industrial process-control markets, but the current commercialization effort is focused mainly on aviation, customs, and border screening.
Strategic Value for Agilent
Agilent provides instruments, software, services, and expertise to laboratories and applied analytical markets, giving it experience relevant to scaling complex detection systems. Geoff Winkett, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Spectroscopy and Vacuum Division, said the additional investment reflects confidence in HALO’s XRD technology and team. The continued backing also aligns with Agilent’s product-development and manufacturing expertise, which HALO previously identified as important to bringing its screening technology into global markets.
Execution Remains the Key Test
HALO Chief Executive Simon Godber described the financing as transformational and said it brings the company closer to commercial scale-up. The opportunity is significant because airports and border agencies want screening technologies that process travelers and goods more efficiently while maintaining reliable threat detection. However, HALO must still complete regulatory approval, demonstrate consistent operational performance, establish scalable manufacturing, and convert industry interest into commercial deployments.
The investment gives HALO additional resources to bridge the gap between advanced X-ray research and a commercially deployable security-screening product. Support from Agilent, UKI2S, and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund provides continuity from the earlier Series A round and signals that existing investors remain committed to the technology. HALO’s next milestones will determine whether its XRD platform can progress from regulatory validation to production-scale adoption across airports, borders, and other security-sensitive environments.