An independent report from innovation and investment consultancy firm, Beauhurst, reveals how the University of Warwick is helping to drive the West Midlands’ position as a powerhouse for innovation, which is in turn supporting growth in the local economy.

The report indicates that businesses within the Warwick Innovation District (WID) – an innovation ecosystem that brings together academics, businesses, founders, investors and business growth programmes – have raised £35.8m of equity investment in 2021 alone.

In total, since its launch in 2020, the WID has helped businesses raise over £100m in investment, with over 700 businesses started or supported. For example, NanoSyrinx, a University of Warwick spin-out specialising in discovery stage biotechnology, recently received a £6.2m investment from Octopus Ventures and an existing investor, M Ventures, through the framework of the WID.

The building blocks of innovation at Warwick

  • Grant success: Understanding how to apply for grants
  • Provision of space and time: Access to people, equipment, spaces, and time to experiment
  • Dedicated Innovation Group: Provision of programmes designed to inspire, educate and incubate
  • Working with government: Understanding of the local and national landscape
  • Open innovation culture: Warwick leads the way; bringing together multi-discipline teams and external partners
  • Global investors: Ability to attract global investors through partnerships such as Plug & Play
  • Strong angel network: University of Warwick Science Park-led Minerva Business Angels
  • Leadership: Research and innovation are well-supported
  • Russell Group research superpower: A track record of spinouts, licensing and investments
  • Excellence in teaching: Awarded ‘University of the year for Teaching Quality 2022’ by the Good University Guide in The Sunday Times
  • Business partnership heritage: Excellence at partnering to develop business talent and innovation
  • University of Warwick Science Park: Provision of first-class support and a strong community

Source: Beauhurst October 2022

          We have long believed that championing innovation is key to supporting the growth of the local economy. The investments generated by the WID will ultimately pay dividends to the wider West Midlands, driving an uptick in new jobs, business opportunities and more.

It is critical that we continue our effort to nurture entrepreneurial talent, create jobs, solve practical problems and accelerate business growth in order to secure the current and future success of the region. Only through putting innovation at the forefront can we ensure that the West Midlands continues to flourish for years to come.

David Plumb, Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Warwick

The district is also home to the Minerva Business Angel Network, a subsidiary of the University’s Science Park, which was acknowledged as the top investor in the West Midlands. Since its inception in 2010, the network has helped provide over £80 million in funding to over 70 companies looking for investment.

The report underlines the West Midlands’ position as a stronghold for many high-growth industries, including clean transport, manufacturing, gaming and esports, health and wellbeing, and fintech. The WID continues to support these sectors through initiatives such as the NatWest Clean Transport Specialist accelerator and ICURe (Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research) accelerator, funded by Innovate UK, both of which have been recognised as two of the most active accelerators in the UK by Beauhurst.

Other initiatives launched by the University include a Health & Wellbeing accelerator, incubators for Deep Tech and Creative & Digital industries, and a £200k investment in a state-of-the-art esports centre.

          There are only a handful of places that match the Warwick Innovation District ecosystem in the UK. Delivering innovation, nurturing talent, and helping businesses to capitalise on opportunities is enabled due to its highly engaged and diverse ecosystem built on strong foundations.

Henry Whorwood, Head of Research at Beauhurst

          NatWest is proud to partner with the University of Warwick to support SMEs in the West Midlands through our recent Accelerator hub, and this report highlights just how vitally important regional collaboration is to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. By working together, we can continue to support the region’s future business owners to become success stories of tomorrow, ensuring the region’s already vibrant entrepreneurial culture continues to grow and thrive.

James Powell, Regional Enterprise Director at NatWest

David concluded:

          The findings outlined in the Beauhurst report confirm the quality and scale of our unique innovation ecosystem at work at Warwick and that our efforts to put innovation into action in our region are leading the way. These achievements would not be possible without establishing a supporting framework for new businesses, which is why we continue to establish new accelerators and invest in infrastructure year-on-year.

David Plumb, Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Warwick

Notes

About Warwick Innovation District

Powered by the University of Warwick, the Warwick Innovation District (WID) is a large, open innovation ecosystem which brings together the brightest minds from academia and education, from the public and private sectors, with the next generation of students, entrepreneurs and investors from across our region.

We bring together academics, businesses, founders, and investors, to start, scale and pivot businesses, while helping students gain the opportunity to experiment with creative and critical thinking. Our mission is to be a driving force for good in the region.

Since launching in 2020, over 20,000 people have engaged in our ecosystem, and we have helped to raise over £100m in investment.

About Beauhurst

Beauhurst is a searchable database of the UK’s high-growth companies.

Our platform is trusted by thousands of business professionals to help them find, research and monitor the most ambitious businesses in the UK. We collect data on every company that meets our niche criteria of high-growth; from equity-backed start-ups to accelerator attendees, academic spinouts and fast-growing scaleups.

Our data is also used by journalists and researchers who seek to understand the high-growth economy, and powering studies by major organisations—including the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and Innovate UK—to help them develop effective policy. For more information and a free demonstration, visit beauhurst.com

For more information, please contact Nick Whittaker / Joe Reilly at WPR

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