Turntide wins £17M UK grant to scale up axial flux motor production

What's the deal? Turntide Technologies has been awarded a £17 million matched-funded grant to accelerate volume production of its axial flux electric motors. The funding comes through the UK GovernmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund, delivered by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade in partnership with the APC and Innovate UKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

What's the endgame? The project, dubbed SUPREME, will automate labour-intensive processes such as winding and tooling to make the motors cheaper and faster to build at scale. Axial flux motors use less space, weigh less, and deliver more power than conventional radial flux designs — but manufacturing challenges have long made them expensive to produce.

Why now? Turntide is targeting rising global demand for efficient, high-performance powertrains across automotive and industrial applications. The 18-month programme runs through January 2028, and all grant funding remains subject to government approval.

Where's the money going? Turntide will expand its Gateshead production and R&D campus and reestablish a dedicated component and validation facility in Cramlington, Northumberland. The company says the project will secure job growth in North East England.

"Project SUPREME is an important step in scaling next-generation electric motor technology production in the U.K. for the global market," said Steve Hornyak, chief executive officer of Turntide Technologies. "By enabling high volume axial flux motor production through automation and overall cost reduction, we're driving wider adoption of more efficient, lighter electric powertrains."

The signal: The grant sits within the UK Government's £4 billion DRIVE35 programme, a core part of its Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan backing the transition to zero-emission vehicles. At roughly $23 million, the award ranks in the top 5% of comparable grant rounds in the internet of things space — a sign of how much public capital is flowing toward domestic electrification manufacturing.

Image credit: Turntide Technologies

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