A Bristol-based ecosystem for deeptech startups has recently opened a second incubator space in the city. Science Creates helps founders in the science and engineering startup space to grow in their early stages of development through incubator workspaces.
The company is currently supporting a number of startups in the space, including the biotech startup currently working on a rapid-response vaccine platform Imophoron, and University of Bristol spin-out developing new cell therapies to treat tumours, CytoSeek.
The new incubator space, located in Old Market in Bristol’s city centre, will provide additional space for laboratories, offices and events to support the growth of more deeptech startups.
The new 30,000 sq ft space comes after the company’s first incubator in St Philips, which is now at full capacity, helped science and engineering companies collectively raise more than £18.4 million in 2021. Both incubators, which are operated in partnership with the University of Bristol and Research England, currently, support around 100 companies, with the potential to create up to 450 jobs.
Dr Harry Destecroix, founder of Science Creates, said: “Boston might be the powerhouse for deep tech, but we believe Bristol will also become famous for being a world-class ecosystem that supports scientists and engineers in commercialising ground-breaking innovations. The city is home to creative, innovative trendsetters and it has world-class research universities and a strong sense of community. But we are only just getting started.”
He added: “Bristol continues to grow as a hub for helping scientists take their discoveries off the shelf and into the real world. Our strength lies in deep tech – an area that is growing more than twice as fast as any other tech sector.”
Bristol is quickly becoming a hub of deeptech innovation in the UK, ranking as the third-highest city in the UK for VC investment valuing over $400M last year. The city also attracted more VC money than several of its European counterparts including Barcelona, Oslo and Madrid, and this trend is not set to stop. According to Tech Nation, after London, Bristol has also attracted the most VC funding in the UK so far this year.
Of the new incubator space, Professor Philip Taylor, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise at the University of Bristol, said: “This new purpose-built incubator is a tremendous boost for the region. It is also testament to the remarkable mix of scientific talent, technological innovation and entrepreneurial growth we have in the city, underpinned by our Science Creates partners.
“As we face an unprecedented amount of global health and environmental challenges, it brings into sharp focus the importance of deep-tech incubators that can accelerate progress in the lab to deliver solutions to problems which have the potential to affect us all.”
