University of Birmingham Enterprise has published its Review of 2024-25, an exciting and inspirational year that saw the launch of nine new ventures, record demand for academic consultants, and fast-paced development for the University and the region.
The 24-25 year saw significant development and growth for Birmingham spin-outs, with eight companies closing investment rounds, and a further three with large investments close to completion.
David Coleman, CEO of UoB Enterprise said: “In the last year we’ve established more ventures, seen growth in our existing spin-out portfolio, and built a strong pipeline for the future. The careful selection and strategic development of those we’ve taken forward is really essential, and the flexibility of our approach has proven to be a major strength.”
Enterprise has continued to expand its innovative Operating Division (OD) model, which allows academics to test their ideas before launching a fully-fledged company, and this year has established seven new ODs. These ventures span a wide spectrum: some in the social sciences, others at the intersection of technology and science – and many are already at or near their first sales.
Angie Reynolds, COO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, said: “This year we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the BioHub®, which laid the groundwork for a strong health and life science ecosystem in the Midlands.”
“Companies hosted in our incubation spaces are reporting strong growth, and key indicators, such as engaging with University researchers for further R&D, are on the rise. Companies that have graduated from Birmingham Research Park are also doing well. In the lasts year two of our alumni achieved funding, and a third announced West Midlands-based clinical trials.”
Enterprise has been working to stimulate and showcase regional entrepreneurship, with initiatives such as the Minerva Birmingham PitchUp, demonstrating the Midlands’ entrepreneurial talent to a wide audience, including investors.
David Coleman said: “We were part of a coalition of Midlands universities that secured £9.9m funding from Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund to support the Forging Ahead regional development initiative directed at talent, skills and supporting networks. This spirit of collaboration includes working with other universities to bring more investment to the region. We are working with ambitious patient investment company Midlands Mindforge, which aims to accelerate commercialisation of ground-breaking science and technology innovations from the eight universities and the Midlands region.”
“The year ahead is set to be another really exciting one, which we see more of our spin-outs and operating divisions growing in an increasingly vibrant Midlands ecosystem.”
