Vector Homes is addressing inefficiencies in the construction sector with its innovative housing systems – cutting costs, build time and carbon. GM Business Growth Hub has been “instrumental” in its quick progress, says the company.

33% Reduction in time to commercialisation
£20k Innovation grant funding
Two new jobs created

Vector Homes is on a mission to deliver sustainable and affordable homes. Determined to address inefficiencies in the construction industry, the Greater Manchester SME combines cutting-edge materials science with a commitment to reducing environmental impact.

From a venture that started a few years ago as something fitted around the day jobs, their journey is a testament to the power of collaboration and targeted innovation support.

The challenge of turning big ideas into reality

Formed to address the construction sector's inefficiencies and environmental shortcomings, Vector Homes identified three key problems: a global undersupply of housing, outdated and overpriced offerings, and the use of unsustainable materials and systems.

“Not only does it typically take six to nine months to build and fit a standard brick house, but housing is nearly three times more expensive than it was 25 years ago,” says Dr Liam Britnell, Chief Technology Officer. “Then there’s the environmental impact of the construction sector, which accounts for a third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

The business set out to transform this landscape by using advanced materials such as graphene and innovative, standardised designs, to deliver high-quality, sustainable homes that can be quickly assembled and scaled.

Despite these groundbreaking ideas, Liam and fellow co-founders Nathan Feddy (CEO) and Jonas Singer (COO) faced obstacles common to many SMEs: access to the technical facilities and funding required to realise their goals.

“The team at Vector Homes are technical experts with bold ideas,” says Russell Mansfield, Commercialisation Specialist at GM Business Growth Hub, “but they required guidance on connecting with the right partners and navigating the funding landscape to bring their vision to life.”

Guidance + collaboration = growth

“We knew we would benefit by bringing in expertise from outside,” recalls Liam. “There are lots of places you can find very generic business support, but if it's with the wrong people it can definitely end up being a bit of a time waster.

“Fortunately, I'd heard positive feedback from other companies about the value that GM Business Growth Hub can add, so when we approached them, we were confident that we’d get something useful out of it. They carried out an audit on the business to identify where they could add the most value, and one of the areas was around accessing testing for the panelling we were developing. The Innovation team highlighted the need for a collaboration project to validate the new material.”

To achieve market acceptance and drive sales, it was essential to have third-party independent verification of performance. While finding the right external resources is often daunting for businesses, our position at the centre of the region’s innovation community means we’re able to streamline the process, quickly connecting them with the right people and institutions to help overcome technical challenges and accelerate the journey to market.

After listening to the company’s ambitions, we introduced Vector Homes to the University of Salford’s Thermal Measurement Laboratory and Acoustic Testing Laboratory, which had the expertise and facilities to help. We scoped out the project's timeline, budget and deliverables, and provided a £5,000 Innovation Funding Voucher to cover half the cost of accessing this support.

The project led to the launch in 2023 of Vector’s first prototype eco-home at the University’s world-leading energy performance test facility, Energy House 2.0. Gaining attention from major housebuilders and investors, the collaboration was “an absolute game-changer for us”, says COO Jonas.

Following this, in 2024, Vector Homes was able to accelerate the development of its foam insulation through connections with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, with new products launching in 2025, ahead of the original schedule.

Again, our Innovation team assisted with the heavy lifting on the admin and funding application side – Vector Homes secured a £15,000 grant through our Innovation Navigator Flexible Fund Scheme to cover 100% of the costs – as well as being that crucial intermediary between academia and the business.

A ‘phenomenal’ ecosystem of business innovation support

The company anticipates significant revenue growth and broader adoption of their sustainable technologies. It has also taken on two new full-time members of staff since partnering with us, as well as accessing GMCA and Innovate UK funding, and benefitting from other key introductions.

“We've developed some really great collaborative commercial partnerships with companies that we've met through people at GM Business Growth Hub,” says Liam. “The Growth Hub has been important in helping us move along our technology roadmap. From early business coaching to accessing Greater Manchester’s rich innovation ecosystem, their guidance has been instrumental. Without the external support we’ve received, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Vector Homes’ rapid journey is the perfect example of how businesses can overcome barriers and achieve market impact by leveraging the resources on their doorstep. As Nathan, CEO, says: “There is a phenomenal innovation ecosystem in Greater Manchester that really enables rapid iteration and development cycles.”

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How collaboration is driving clean-tech SME’s success - Vector Homes