From coffee without the beans to developing more effective medications to treat Alzheimer’s, these companies now join one of the UK’s most successful networks of business incubators, enabling them to bring their new innovations to market quicker and succeed in global markets.

Solving problems that matter

Paul Vernon, STFC’s Executive Director of Business and Innovation, said: “From faster breast cancer diagnosis to water-powered satellites, STFC is deeply committed to nurturing UK startups with transformative ideas that could shape our future.

“These startups are using science and technology to solve problems that matter to all of us, including better and more affordable healthcare to protecting our planet for future generations. However, the journey from bold idea to successful business is rarely easy.

“In alignment with the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth, STFC’s successful business incubation programmes provide an environment where businesses can overcome their industrial and business challenges to achieve world-changing success.”

From startup to scaleup

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: “While new problem-solving products are being created by innovators across the UK every day, the hurdles to enable start-ups to scale up into successful businesses are often too high – from sourcing finance to accessing facilities.

“Business Incubation Centres offer those key resources, and this new investment will continue their work of backing science and technology to grow the UK economy.”

Powering breakthrough innovation

In 2024 alone, STFC’s network of BICs delivered £78 million of economic impact to the UK economy, and over £350 million since inception, during which time is has helped more than 150 businesses thrive.

Each company will locate within one of STFC’s five BICs, each of which is in collaboration with industry-leading partners, with a focus in specific fields.

• Space (ESA BIC UK) with the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency and the University of Leicester
• Biotechnology (Bio BIC), with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
• Digital and AI (Digital BIC), with STFC’s Hartree Centre
• Quantum computing (QuBIC), with the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)
• Health BIC: With the Liverpool City Combined Authority, alongside  UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC), the Medicines Discovery Catapult

Tangible business benefits

In addition to vital funding, participating businesses gain access to world leading research facilities, expertise and IP, resources that are typically inaccessible to start-ups, enabling them to overcome their industrial challenges.

In turn this enables them to accelerate the development of exciting new products that benefit our lives and the world we live in, to achieve commercial success and create high value jobs.   

The startups shaping a better tomorrow

From saving lives to saving the planet, among the startups entering the STFC BICs are companies developing technologies that will:

• Improve diagnostics for sleep apnea
• Improve drugs for Alzheimer’s
• Reduce the deforestation and carbon footprint associated with coffee production
• Provide property developers in coastal areas with detailed environmental impact assessments
• Develop AI tools for people suffering from dementia or loneliness
• Design new technologies to support quantum computing
• Develop low carbon panelling for construction industry
• Develop ultra sustainable protein for shakes
• Design new treatments that increase antibiotic effectiveness
• Monitor shipping containers to protect cargo during transport

The 28 new incubatees bring the total number to join the STFC BICs this year alone to 43 companies.

Bespoke business support

Across the BICs, each startup benefits from bespoke business coaching and access to specialist industrial clusters at STFC’s BIC locations nationwide:

• Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
• Sci-Tech Daresbury, Liverpool City Region
• The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
• Space Park, University of Leicester

Furthermore, with half of the supported companies based outside London and the South East, this underlines how the BICs are supporting startups from all nations and regions of the UK

Blueprint for success

Since the launch of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre UK (ESA BIC UK) in 2009, this programme has supported more than 130 space tech startups, creating more than 1,000 highly skilled jobs3 and £225 million investment collectively.

This same model has since been used as the blueprint for the four other deep tech incubation centres, the most recent being the Health BIC, launched in October 2024.

Collectively, the incubatees are generating a 25-fold return on investment for the UK taxpayer and boast a 95% survival rate, well above the national average.   

From science to market success

Will Gault, Business Incubation Programmes Lead at STFC will work directly with each startup on joining the BIC programme.  He said: “Deep tech startups often face barriers to commercialisation due to high costs and technical challenges. By providing vital, tailored support, we’re helping to bridge the gap between laboratory breakthrough and profitable business.

“This is where cutting-edge science meets bold market potential for the benefit of society. I’m looking forward to welcoming each these exciting new businesses to our BIC programme, and supporting  their journey to commercial success.”