Seed Funding Sees J2 Take Off

3rd July 2007

A cutting edge piece of software is set to transform the aircraft manufacturing industry thanks to backing from Merseyside Special Investment Fund’s Liverpool Seed Fund.

J2 Aircraft Dynamics Limited, based in Maghull, has produced a unique engineering analysis tool called the “J2 Universal Toolkit”. The Toolkit simulates aircraft in-flight behaviour, allowing engineers to eliminate design flaws and poor performance characteristics early in the design process, saving thousands in costs and significantly reducing development time.

MSIF’s Seed Fund has invested £300k to fund the further development of the business. It is the second time J2 has been backed by the Seed Fund which initially invested £100k to complete the Proof of Concept stage, where the product is tested to see if it is commercially viable.

Customers already include the University of Virginia which is using the software to aid a NASA project, and Piper Aircraft Inc.

CEO John Jeffery who founded J2 in 2006 said: “The Toolkit can be used to develop any type of aircraft. It is extremely accurate, highly effective and quick and easy to use.

"In addition to our existing contracts several other companies have also expressed an interest including European Consortium SimSAC, which has asked us to take the technical lead in developing dynamic modelling solutions.”

“The funding from the Liverpool Seed Fund and the support from Liverpool Ventures has been vital to establishing J2 and means we can now take the business to the next level.”

Darren Gowling, Investment Director of MSIF’s £27m Seed Fund said: “J2 has already generated a lot of interest and we are pleased to be backing a company that has designed such innovative software. This is yet another fantastic example of the quality within the ICT sector on Merseyside.”

Janet Butler, Business Consultant with Liverpool Ventures: "J2 has developed exciting technology which we believe has global commercial potential and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them through this next exciting phase.”

Turnover is expected to reach around £500k next year and it is estimated staff levels will reach 15 in 3 years.

Legal advisors involved in the transaction were Mark Rathbone at Brabners Chaffe Street for MSIF and Mark Forman at PFK for the management.

Ends

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Photo shows L-R John Jeffrey (J2) Janet Butler (Liverpool Ventures) Darren Gowling (MSIF)

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