Three Bristol companies have been awarded bursaries under a scheme launched by the city’s world-class SETsquared business incubator to help support Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) entrepreneurs access tech business support.
Chisel Robotics, Cyber Scholars, and NORTHSTAR will join SETsquared Bristol’s programme this summer. 
The three placements under the Breakthrough Bursary scheme fund 75% of SETsquared membership and provide access to strategic advice and coaching, including investment readiness training, bespoke business support, mentoring, events and advice clinics, as well as access to office space.
NORTHSTAR is a software application offering visual indicators of performance for all parts of a business, providing staff with a self-management tool to propel performance and customisable actions which are proven to increase engagement and staff happiness.
NORTHSTAR founder Glyn Blaize, pictured, said: “We are really excited about becoming part of the SETsquared family. We operate in the analytics and HR tech space which is progressing at the speed of light so having the support of SETsquared and being able to tap into such a vast array of talent, expertise and networks makes for an incredibly exciting journey ahead.” 
Cyber Scholars helps children and young people to flourish online, preventing cyber-curious teenagers from getting criminal records. The aim is to make the next generation tech-savvy and ultimately employable within the industry.
Cyber Scholars funder Angela Loveridge, pictured, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been offered SETsquared’s Breakthrough Bursary. I am looking forward to being a part of such a vibrant, thriving, and supportive business community, especially given SETsquared’s reputation for being a world-class business support ecosystem.
“Having the support of SETsquared will increase the momentum that I’ve already generated to drive this business forward, which will help cyber curious teenagers and ultimately the cyber industry. Getting ‘behind-the-scenes’ business support will help to ensure that the next generation of tech-savvy cyber professionals are more easily identifiable and employable.”
Chisel Robotics is developing next generation asisted living technology to redefine the experience between humans and machines through its Unique Artificial Intelligent Platform and smart interface technology. It enables products to learn from users, adapt to them, and deliver a comfortable and flexible experience.
“World without disabilities” is opening the doors of hope for amputees and disabled people to live a life again with full physical functionality.
Chisel Robotics founder Mayur Hulke said: “First and foremost, we would like to extend a huge thank you to the SETsquared team for their generous support which has most recently included awarding us membership through the Breakthrough Bursary programme. Joining the SETsquared community has been a long-standing goal for Chisel Robotics, and now with financial assistance from the Breakthrough Bursary, we’re ready to grasp with both hands each one of the many opportunities that lie ahead of us.
“As an early stage start-up we feel both humbled and privileged to become a part of such a vibrant and successful incubator, and we expect to feel right at home in its welcoming environment. Our main objective for the upcoming year is to launch our product in the market, after having fortified the foundations of our business with the essential tools and resources that will help Chisel Robotics take flight! The abundance of business expertise and deep-rooted industry networks that SETsquared holds will certainly give us that vital edge we’ll need to take our business to the next level.”
The bursary, which was launched in February to support entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds in accessing business support covers 75% of SETsquared Bristol’s residential start-up membership. The companies will receive strategic advice and coaching, including investment readiness training, bespoke business support, mentoring, events and advice clinics, as well as access to university expertise and a fixed desk in a shared office at the Bristol centre.
Bristol is a widely diverse city, but there is a lack of BAME representation in the tech ecosystem. In 2018 SETsquared Bristol funded a research report carried out by partners ACH and magazine Up Our Street, and is using the research to help reduce the barriers faced by BAME individuals in accessing business support based on the findings.
The report offered key recommendations on how to make business support more accessible to BAME communities. The Breakthrough Bursary will return in future, offering access to business support to other under-represented groups.
SETsquared Bristol centre director Monika Radclyffe said: “We are pleased to welcome Chisel Robotics, Cyber Scholars and NORTHSTAR to SETsquared Bristol. The Breakthrough Bursary is part of our commitment to supporting tech businesses from all backgrounds and communities, and we understand this is essential if our region is to thrive economically. We look forward to seeing the three companies flourish as they progress through the SETsquared programme.”
