Traditional methods fall short, offering only surface-level or shallow penetration, which often leads to inaccurate assessments and can result in either unnecessary repairs or catastrophic failures. Given that repairs to critical infrastructure, such as bridges, can cost hundreds of millions of pounds, accurate data-driven decisions are essential.

Originally founded in Estonia, GScan chose Cambridge for its new office due to the city's strong connections with the deeptech startup and funding community, as well as its proximity to the university and potential clients in the infrastructure and built environment sectors. GScan has also partnered with the esteemed Construction Information Technology Lab at Cambridge, renowned globally for its cutting-edge research in engineering and infrastructure.

GScan’s Co-Founder and CSO Dr Andi Hektor, who is a former particle physicist at CERN, said: “We’re excited to be working with the ecosystem in Cambridge which is really strong both in terms of its deeptech ecosystem and the research at the University where we are building a closer relationship with the CIT Lab. We’re looking forward to building more connections locally and throughout the UK.”

GScan has a wide range of strategic partners in the UK, across academia and government, the owner operator and strategic partner communities including CSIC, Sellafield, AtkinsRealis, and National Highways, on Structures Moonshot a project to assess the presence of corrosion and wider structural integrity of bridges.

Edward Wilkinson, Strategic Corporate Development Lead at GScan, said: “Cambridge is a great location from which to expand our UK market engagement, with continued focus on the wider European market and North America. We have incredible links with scientists, governments, and top construction companies to be able to bring this technology to the right people.”

GScan has harnessed its deep expertise, including a team of eight PhDs, to develop proprietary cutting-edge hardware and AI-driven software. Their innovative scanners, known as hodoscopes, measure the flow of muons – subatomic particles that reach sea level at an average rate of 10,000 particles per square meter per minute. As these muons pass through structures, GScan’s machine learning software analyses their scattering and absorption, producing detailed maps that reveal material composition and pinpoint defects with high accuracy. Offered through a Hardware-as-a-Service model, GScan provides ongoing assurance for asset owners and operators, ensuring continuous oversight of their portfolios.

Beyond delivering cost savings and enhancing safety, GScan’s technology has significant environmental benefits, potentially saving millions of tonnes of carbon. As the climate crisis intensifies and regulations evolve, maintaining and optimising existing infrastructure has become crucial. Experts agree that the most sustainable buildings are those already standing, with the potential to reduce construction-related carbon emissions by up to 60%. GScan empowers its customers to make informed decisions that optimise reconstruction efforts, capital expenditure, and environmental impact.

GScan has recently been recognised as an EIC Scaling Club startup and won the BuiltWorlds startup competition, further validating its innovative approach to infrastructure management.