Cambridge University's impulse programme alumni is leading the charge in battery innovation. 

Aston University launched its Enterprise Strategy to an audience of industry executives, entrepreneurs and local leaders at John Cadbury House in Birmingham city centre on Thursday 6 February 2025.

A cornerstone of the enterprise strategy is the Birmingham Innovation Precinct, an ambitious initiative that will establish a technology-driven innovation ecosystem at the heart of the city built on strategic and inclusive collaborations. The precinct is being developed in partnership between Aston University, Bruntwood SciTech and Birmingham City Council.

The highly anticipated Athena VC Festival is set to take place on 13 May 2025 at Nexus, University of Leeds. Uniting women venture capitalists, aspiring investors, and industry allies, this landmark event is designed to promote equity, innovation, and collaboration in venture capital.

Oxford Innovation Finance, the home of OION and Oxford Innovation EIS Growth Fund, has launched its first independent SEIS Growth Fund. This fund targets innovative UK science and technology startups, responding to increased investor demand for SEIS investments and the growing pool of high-quality SEIS opportunities.

British Business Investments has provided an initial £20m funding facility to Sprk Capital Limited. The facility will provide capital to smaller businesses in the UK engaged in innovation.

A government programme that was founded half a century ago has reached a milestone at Aston University.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) were established to boost UK businesses through collaboration with universities and other research organisations.

As the KTP scheme turns 50, Aston University has reached its own milestone by managing 40 projects concurrently, more than at any other time in its history. This is the largest KTP portfolio in the UK.

Building on the success of the inaugural and second-year Seed Capital Investment Fund, The Dyers' Company has launched the Fund for a third year. This initiative is designed to support innovation and the commercialisation of business ideas within the colouration industry. The deadline for applications is 5th March 2025.

Black entrepreneurs are invited to prepare to be inspired, empowered, and equipped for success as the UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference (BBEC) returns for its fourth annual event on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.  This year's conference promises to be the most dynamic yet, celebrating diversity, resilience, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

A new report, launched in Parliament by The Entrepreneurs Network, a think tank, and the Invest in Women Taskforce, an initiative to boost investment in women-led businesses, considers the ways the Government and private sector can act to improve the environment for female angel investors across the UK.

The Invest in Women Taskforce has secured over £250 million of funding to support female entrepreneurs in the UK. This milestone exceeds the Taskforce's initial ambitious goal of creating one of the world's largest investment pools of £250 million for female-led and mixed businesses.

BGF has joined forces with other major investors, including Barclays, M&G, the British Business Bank, Morgan Stanley, the Visa Foundation and Aviva, to announce a commitment to invest in female-founded businesses across the country. Investments will either be made directly themselves or through the ‘Women backing Women' fund.

In a vibrant display of entrepreneurial spirit, SETsquared highlighted the investment potential of university start-ups and spinouts at its Investment Futures event in London.  The event attracted a dynamic crowd of over 300 attendees, bringing together university researchers, innovators, industry experts and investors interested in capitalising on the groundbreaking companies emerging from academic research.

Salesfire - a Middlesbrough company whose platform helps e-commerce stores to increase sales - has raised a further £2.75m from NPIF II - Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).