Steve Edwards, Centre Director: 2020. Progress in a time of lockdown

I entered Engine Shed in January 2020 as the Centre Director at SETsquared Bristol on an interim contract with a year to embrace the community and maybe tinker with a few bits of the well-oiled incubation machine. Roll on a few months to the challenges of the COVID pandemic and the resultant lockdown that would impose wholesale change on the way that we do everything. Not a standard year but an incredible lesson in how unwelcome upheaval can be good for progress.  As the country…

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New investment funds for Bristol startups

2021 has begun on a positive note from an equity investment perspective with the launch of two new Bristol-based investment funds. Science Creates Ventures announce a new EIS fund Science Creates Ventures, in partnership with the University of Bristol, has launched its first fund, a £15 million venture capital fund offering startup investment. The fund…

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GenomeKey raises investment from Bristol Private Equity Club

A group of Bristol-based entrepreneurs has invested £192k into SETsquared Bristol member, GenomeKey, a research and development startup which is searching for faster diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. Sixteen members of Bristol Private Equity Club (BPEC) have backed GenomeKey, which is carrying out the pioneering research programme in Bristol. The investment will enable GenomeKey to leverage…

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Case study: The XCD Journey – from startup to exit in ten years

To help our aspiring entrepreneurs and future SETsquared Bristol members, we showcase member and alumni case studies demonstrating the breadth of tech at SETsquared Bristol and what it takes to achieve success. We had a chat with XCD Founder, Chris Mitford-Slade … XCD Key Facts Start date:  October 2010 Market sector: HR & Payroll software Location: Bristol Number of employees: 80 Company…

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SETsquared Bristol awards six BAME-led startups with Breakthrough Bursary

SETsquared Bristol, the University of Bristol world-leading tech incubator, is proud to announce six companies that have been awarded their 2020 Breakthrough Bursary. Angel Investors Club, Engineer2Engineer, Latchaid, Lurncampus, FluoretiQ and YelloButterfly will join SETsquared Bristol’s incubation programme in January 2021 to grow their technology startups. Now in its second year, the Breakthrough Bursary supports…

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Interview with Mustafa Rampuri: Ambitions for enterprise and quantum technology in Bristol

We had a chat with Mustafa Rampuri, Director of Enterprise Services and the Quantum Technology Innovation Centre (QTIC+) at University of Bristol, about his ambitions for enterprise and quantum technology in Bristol, and how these connect with the SETsquared Bristol incubation programme.  For those that don’t know much about you, what is your role and what is your background?  My role as Director of Enterprise Services is to help the University of…

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Welcome to returning members and new tenants to our office space

The lifeblood of growing a business isn’t only the access to world-class business support, but also the access to a supportive community, valuable network and a space to bring teams together to create and innovate. During the pandemic, we’ve seen that working from home has its challenges, including the loss of face-to-face interaction and getting…

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Diverse pipeline of talent celebrated at Bristol’s Silicon Gorge

Eleven of the most exciting early-stage tech and digital startups in the South West and Wales pitched last week to an audience of high-calibre investors at the Silicon Gorge Investor Showcase final. Part of the Investment Activator Programme, Silicon Gorge is one of the West’s major investment events, with selected startups getting through semi-finals to…

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