A University of Manchester start-up has secured two grants from Innovate UK (the former Technology Strategy Board).

Located on Grafton Street in Manchester, 2-DTech Ltd has received £80,000 for a collaborative project with Evodental to produce graphene-reinforced polymers for dental prostheses and £98,000 to explore solid-state dye-sensitised solar cells, in partnership with Australian group Dyesol Ltd.

The company has also announced that Aravind Vijayaraghaven, a lecturer in nano-materials at the university and the public engagement co-ordinator for the National Graphene Institute — has joined as a senior consultant, while Andrew Strudwick has been appointed as a research scientist.

Versarien, an advanced engineering materials group based in Gloucestershire, acquired an 85% stake in 2-DTech earlier this year.

Its chief executive, Neill Ricketts, said: “Since the acquisition in May, 2-DTech has made excellent progress, with many of our key objectives being achieved well ahead of schedule. We look forward to welcoming interested parties to the home of graphene, where they will see how this material is being developed and commercialised by 2-DTech through the combination of academic, scientific and commercial expertise.