Startup for 10: Mind Foundry

As part of their Editorial Month with us, our Community Partner Burges Salmon have chosen to spotlight one of their clients: Mind Foundry.

For the spotlight, we worked with them to create a Startup For 10 that explores what they do, the problem they are trying to solve and what the future looks like for them. 

In your own words – what do you do?

We are a machine learning company, working to protect frontline operators and safeguard critical national infrastructure.

One of our core values is to enable human and machine collaboration but there are so many ways to do that that I probably need to say more. We build Responsible AI products that use machine learning to make sense of the world, and then we deliver that intelligence in a way humans can actually trust, even when the stakes are sky-high. This is a requirement for us because of the sectors we work in: Defence and National Security and Critical National Infrastructure. Sectors that are highly regulated, highly dynamic, and too important to get wrong.

We build very sophisticated, low-energy, highly-explainable models that can work with noisy data, achieve amazing results, and be more transparent about how they’ve come to their decisioning than almost anything else we’ve seen out there.

We use sensor data about the real world to build trusted, verifiable human-machine intelligence that powers our products, from detecting bridge damage to tracking drones.

2) What’s the most exciting thing about what you’re doing?

We’re building trusted AI to put in the hands of people on the front lines, people looking out for drone intrusions, people watching the seas for things that shouldn’t be there, and people helping to safeguard and extend the life of our ageing infrastructure.

Imagine this: you’re in the armed forces and you’re in the midst of a mission when suddenly you get a warning that there’s a swarm of drones heading your way. It could be that they’re flying blind to radar because they’re tethered to fibre-optic cables, but that’s okay because they still make a sound and now our system has processed that sound to determine exactly what they are, where they’re headed, and how long you have to make an important decision about what to do next. It’s probably not very long and you have to make several decisions very quickly. In a situation like that, you don’t want your AI co-pilot to be serving up blackbox hallucinations that have nothing to do with the actual state of the world. You need them to be real. Verifiable. Trustworthy. Based on scientific principles and mathematics.

That’s what we do. That’s what makes our work so exciting, and, if I’m honest …important.

Because we’re not building AI to sell more ads, or automate email responses. Other companies can do that. We’re building trusted AI to put in the hands of people on the front lines, people looking out for drone intrusions, people watching the seas for things that shouldn’t be there, and people helping to safeguard and extend the life of our ageing infrastructure.

We’re the UK’s Sovereign AI company, but we’re not trying to replace people. We’re helping them see more, act faster, and stay safer.

3) What are you most proud of so far?

Anytime we hear from users about the impact we are making in the world. Before I joined, one of our early projects was about using smart phone microphones to listen to the buzzing of a mosquito and predict whether it was a vector for malaria. It was the early version of our acoustic intelligence technology we now use to detect drones. Another proud moment came a few years ago when we built an Edge-AI model that was so small it could be deployed on a satellite orbiting the Earth and then look down at the surface of the Earth and identify recent visible changes, such as deforestation, desertification, or flooding. I still remember the thrill of watching it go up on a SpaceX rocket and then seeing the moment the satellite got deployed. So cool. And I know it’s possibly bad form to do this, but I think the thing I’m most proud of, is something we’re not at liberty to discuss in an open forum like this yet. Let’s just say our Defence team has been hard at work for years and we’ll start to see the results of that soon.

4) What have you found most difficult about being a startup?

I love startups. Always have. But they’re not for everyone.

You’ve got to be comfortable living in the chaos. Thriving in uncertainty. Making decisions with half the data. Balancing right on the edge between total failure and world-changing success. That’s the game.

But if I had to pick the hardest part, it’s timing. And the tough thing is, it’s almost completely out of your control. You can build the right product, with the right team, for the right problem.

But if the market isn’t ready yet, or if you’re just a little too late, it doesn’t matter. Timing can quietly crush you. Too early and no one cares. Too late and there’s no room left to move.

Either one can be just as devastating. And yet… that’s part of what makes it worth doing. When you do get the timing right, when the idea, the tech, and the world all line up, it feels like catching lightning in a bottle.

5) What would you do differently if you started now?

In many ways, we approach each day as if we are continually starting now. We’re not a massive organisation stuck in old decisions or legacy structures. We can pivot. We can adapt. We can scan the horizon for the latest tech and put it to work today. That ability to start now, to treat every day like day one, is probably one of our superpowers. I can think of a number of times where we’ve used it to be quicker than some of the companies who are 100x bigger than us. With the pace of innovation that we’re seeing in AI, agentic systems, robotics and quantum… the world will look very different in just a few years. If you’re not starting now, you might get left behind.

6) Where do you think you’ll be in 12 months?

Our products are maturing fast, and we’re learning a lot from the users and deployments we’re supporting right now.

At the moment, we’re known for our work in acoustic intelligence. That means using microphones on the ground to detect drones in the air, or sonar in the sea to identify signatures of interest. Over the next year, we’ll go deeper. Drones aren’t the only threats that make a sound, and we’re improving our models so we can detect more sounds, faster and with greater accuracy.

But sound is just one piece of the puzzle. What’s even more exciting is the way we’re fusing acoustic data with other types of sensors. We’ve developed a unique approach to combining different data streams and algorithms, and it’s already giving us a step change in how we identify, classify, and track objects in the real world.

In infrastructure, we’re focused on something we call the “age of degradation.” For decades, we’ve been living in the honeymoon phase of postwar concrete and steel. Now, that phase is ending. Bridges are ageing. Repairs are overdue. And the only way to prioritise the work that is required is to have better data.

That’s why we’ve built a new bridge inspection app powered by computer vision. It quantifies defect progression on aging structures, giving engineers a much clearer picture of what’s happening. A year from now, we’ll have access to the unique dataset it has created on the health of UK infrastructure. That’s when our scientists will really get to work, building the intelligence layer that helps engineers plan the right interventions at the right time.

And finally, we’ll be unlocking the dual-use potential of our defence products. For example, we built Sentry to detect drones and protect frontline operators. But as the Strategic Defence Review and recent comments from the Prime Minister have made clear, a third of the UK’s defence budget is meant to serve the whole of society, especially when it comes to critical infrastructure. That’s where we see ourselves playing an even bigger role.

7) What tools/people/services/organisations from your local tech cluster have helped

you most?

Working in defence and critical infrastructure, it’s not just about having good tech. It’s about knowing how to get it into the right hands. So, frameworks matter. Being on the right ones has made it possible for us to win work that actually moves the needle.

Funding bodies have also been part of the story. ARIA grants, Innovate UK, and UKRI have all played a role in helping us take early technical bets and push beyond what’s easy or obvious. That freedom to explore has made a real difference.

And then there are the connectors. The people and organisations who help translate between sectors, spot emerging needs, and keep the conversations grounded in real-world relevance.

So from procurement pathways to public funding to community-building, it’s a constellation of support. And we’re really grateful for it.

8) What’s the best thing about the Oxford tech cluster?

The best thing is the mix of deep science and real-world application. You’ve got world-class research, serious talent, and a community that wants to build things that matter. And somehow, it still feels human-sized. You can have a coffee with someone working on quantum, AI, or national security, and walk away with a new idea — or a new collaborator.

9) How has working with Burges Salmon supported your growth or ambitions?

Working with Burges Salmon has helped us grow in exactly the ways that matter most for a company operating at the edge of AI, defence, and national infrastructure. Their guidance has been essential in navigating the complex regulatory and legal landscapes that come with high-stakes deployments. Whether it’s aligning with frameworks like JSP 936 or embedding human-centric design into our contracts, they’ve helped us ensure our technology is not just technically strong, but also ethically grounded and legally sound.

We’ve also appreciated how collaborative they are. From joint panels to policy discussions with the MOD and legal experts, they’ve created space for meaningful dialogue around AI governance. That kind of access and alignment is critical for a company like ours. We’re committed to setting the benchmark for robust assurance of the most powerful dual-use technology of our time. And having a legal partner who shares that sense of responsibility helps us move faster, with confidence, in exactly the right direction.

10) Where can we find out more about you?

To be the first to know what we’re up to, the best thing is to subscribe to our blog or follow us on LinkedIn. We’re active on social, regularly sharing updates, thoughts, and breakthroughs from the team.

We also love telling stories through video. You can check out our latest work, behind-the-scenes moments, and ideas in motion on our YouTube channel.

And of course, our website is the home for everything — from product updates to thought leadership to careers.