Oxford Technology funds next-generation human–robot safety technology 

Oxford Technology is investing in BeyondFence, a robotics company developing ISO compliant technology designed to allow humans and industrial robots to work safely together without the need for traditional physical safety barriers.

In modern manufacturing environments, robots and humans are typically separated by extensive safety fencing. Current safety standards require barriers to extend to the maximum possible reach of a robotic arm, with systems designed to instantly shut down the robot if any object or person touches the fence. While effective for safety, these arrangements consume significant factory floor space, increase installation costs and reduce operational flexibility.

BeyondFence solves this challenge by replacing the safety perimeter with certified intelligence built around the robot’s surface. By incorporating this touch-detection technology, BeyondFence empowers robots to instantly freeze movement upon physical contact, such as with a human hand or torso.

In March 2026, BeyondFence joined the Siemens Cre8Ventures Digital Twin Marketplace. The announcement read: “The collaboration begins with a focus on fenceless robot automation and will expand into autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and other autonomous systems. Together, Siemens Cre8Ventures and BeyondFence will explore how digital twins can accelerate the validation, deployment, and scaling of next-generation robotics solutions across European industry.”

BeyondFence’s founders are Luc Yao and Dr Camus Su, both of whom bring extensive experience in robotics and industrial technology. The company is headquartered in Oxford while maintaining deep technology partnerships globally.

The investment from Oxford Technology, whose latest funds take advantage of SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) and EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) tax reliefs, will support the company’s initial operating costs as it progresses toward securing its first commercial sale.

BeyondFence is already in discussions with several prospective customers. One early deployment may involve a major European company specialising in packing fruit for supermarket distribution, where enabling people and robots to work more closely together could deliver substantial operational and cost efficiencies.

“BeyondFence is addressing a major industrial challenge with a highly practical, compliant technology solution,” states Lucius Cary, founder of Oxford Technology. “As robotics adoption accelerates at pace globally, enabling safe and efficient human-robot collaboration will be paramount. We believe the company has the potential to improve factory productivity significantly while maintaining the highest safety standards.”

Luc Yao adds: “Industrial 5.0 puts human judgement and creativity back at the centre of production. BeyondFence is the infrastructure that makes that possible, safely and at industrial scale.”

According to Dr Camus Su: “Achieving this level of certification for fenceless human co-presence is genuinely new territory in industrial safety standards. As AI evolves toward physical AI and agentic AI, creating a human-centric, fenceless environment is no longer just a safety preference, it’s the foundational infrastructure that allows robotic AI to safely expand its application skills. We’re at the beginning of what that makes possible.”