Which problem is your research seeking to solve? When did you first realise there was commercial potential?
My research tackles one of automation’s biggest blind spots — how to get robots to handle soft, flexible, and irregular materials like plants, textiles, and food. Traditional grippers rely on suction or rigid fingers, which fail with these materials. The “aha” moment came when we discovered that tangling, usually seen as a nuisance, could actually be harnessed for gripping. When early lab tests showed this worked without sensors or control, we realised the potential for commercial impact.
What initial steps did you take to explore the innovation?
We began with lab prototypes and published our findings to validate the science. King’s support was crucial in helping us translate that work, from connecting us with the Technology Transfer Office for IP protection, to providing entrepreneurial training, and access to seed funding. These steps turned a research curiosity into a viable commercial opportunity.
Why did you decide to join King’s Spinout Accelerator?
To learn how to commercialise our research - how to speak the language of investors, refine our business model, and understand our customer markets. It provided the structure, community, and momentum needed to move from concept to company.
What’s been the biggest learning from your time on the programme?
That innovation is as much about people as technology — understanding customer pain points, building partnerships, and staying flexible. Through the programme, we defined our value proposition, engaged early adopters, and built the Weird Gripper Company. What I’ve valued most is the mix of mentorship, peer feedback, and the push to test assumptions quickly.
Any advice for other academics or researchers who might like to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before engaging outside academia, industry feedback will shape your best ideas. Start talking to potential users early and use the support at King’s; there’s a whole ecosystem ready to help researchers become innovators.
What’s next for you and what impact are you hoping to create?
We’re now refining our gripper for industrial pilots in agriculture and food packaging, with a trial planned with a major supplier of fresh herbs to UK supermarkets. Our goal is to enable automation where it wasn’t possible before — reducing waste, addressing labour shortages, and boosting productivity. In the long term, we hope to make robotic handling as adaptable and natural as the human hand.
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The King's Spinout Accelerator offers a unique pathway to fast-track groundbreaking solutions born from research from across King's College London. It is open to all King's researchers and academics.
Learn more about The Weird Gripper Company on their website.