SETsquared Bristol, three times winner of the title of the world’s best university-backed incubator, has landed another top international accolade – this time as Europe’s ‘hottest accelerator’.
Led by the University of Bristol and based at the city’s Engine Shed innovation hub, SETsquared Bristol supports the growth of technology-based businesses, helping them move from initial ideas into commercial viability.
It fought off stiff competition in The Europas – the only independent awards to recognise the European tech start-up scene – to win the title, beating 11 companies in the long list including London and international-based Founders Factory and Entrepreneur First.
Set up by online publisher TechCrunch in 2009, The Europas have previously championed some of Europe’s most innovative and successful start-ups including Spotify, TransferWise, SoundCloud and Babylon Health.
SETsquared Bristol centre director Steve Edwards, pictured, said: “Bristol is now rightfully recognised on a par with other big tech areas like London, and this is because of its culture and expertise, from hi-tech businesses and incubators, to the student, academic and research talent emerging from the University of Bristol and beyond.”
TechCrunch editor Mike Butcher added: “Regional player SETsquared Bristol has helped propel some of the UK’s leading start-ups to success, including Immersive Labs and Ultraleap, to make the South West a hot area for tech.”
The title of Hottest Accelerator in Europe continues SETsquared Bristol’s ongoing success, having maintained its world-leading position of global number one university business incubator by UBI Global since 2015 as part of the SETsquared Partnership.
With bespoke training programmes, unrivalled access to a network of mentors, alumni, investors and corporate partners, and the knowledge base of the University of Bristol, SETsquared Bristol has supported more than 250 start-ups, helping them raise more than £500m of investment.
In the past year alone its members raised a record £58m turnover and created 240 jobs in the city. A commitment to supporting tech businesses from all backgrounds and communities has resulted in women accounting for 27% of its members’ founders/CEOs while 16% of its members’ founders are people of colour.
SETsquared Bristol’s latest award follows two recent reports that recognised Bristol’s tech and start-up scenes. Tech Nation cited Bristol as the third top UK city for tech investment, and eighthtop European city for emerging tech investment in its 2020 report while Startup Blink named it as the best city in the UK outside of London for start-ups, overtaking Manchester for the accolade. The city also moved up 57 places globally to be named 68th best in the world.
SETsquared Bristol is a member of the SETsquared partnership that brings together the research-intensive universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey with a mission is to help turn innovative sparks into a thriving, commercial businesses.
