We’re a city of lovers, learners and leaders – and something to be particularly proud of is the mark Bristol’s big thinkers have made on the global map when it comes to deep tech and creative technologies. We’re shining a light on some of the brightest local sparks who are changing the world with their great ideas…
Sure, Bristol may be world-renowned for its street art. For its musical influence. Its TV and film production prowess. Its near-maniacal enduring fascination for hot air balloons no matter how long you’ve lived here. But recent years have also seen these streets become a hotbed for technology, recognised the world over.
We know that ‘technology’ is a pretty broad term, and many tribes of thought from diverse communities thrive under the omniscient technology umbrella. But it turns out that Bristol’s particularly excelling in deep tech and creative tech universes. Of course there are many, many other areas of technical thought currently being flooded with ideas and solutions born of Bristol brains, but for the sake of sticking to some New Year light reading (and to be able to actually squeeze an unfathomably large topic into a monthly lifestyle magazine) we’ve kept our laser focus on just a few bright lights working hard locally to conceive, support, fund and make reality some truly awe-inspiring tech solutions.
Minds over matter
Not au fait with deep tech? This area of thought is often ground-breaking, is heavily research-driven and often aims to problem solve – requiring lots of investment. It can involve engineering, AI, quantum computing and bioengineering. Typical applications might include medical marvels and solutions to tackle climate change.
Creative tech might feel like more familiar territory to some, focusing on how we can further push the boundaries of ways to capture and create sound and visions – lifting creative ideas from someone’s brain and making it a reality.
So, who’s in the business of making our world a more creative and scientifically advanced place, and based in Bristol? Of course, the city’s incredible research universities – UWE and the University of Bristol – are where many ideas originally form. Many of these teams evolve into individual start-ups, a great deal of whom have been able to get ahead thanks to the city’s hubs and incubators; there are major events, like the annual Bristol Technology Festival (last held in October 2024); and not forgetting organisations like techSPARK, which is a not-for-profit Bristol and Bath growth network – helping to facilitate conversations, upskill individuals and generally helping to make the magic happen.
Here’s our very own showcase of local success stories – which is by no means exhaustive – who are part of the fourth industrial revolution, catapulting us into the next phase of humanity…
Digging deep for answers
Science Creates (sciencecreates.co.uk) is a Bristol-based deep tech ecosystem that helps scientists and engineers accelerate their ideas, creating disruptive businesses from scientific discoveries. The organisation invested in the region’s potential to become a deep tech centre outside of the Golden Triangle [the area formed by the university cities of London, Oxford and Cambridge] – this was directly driven by deep tech founders who needed infrastructure, investment and a network to grow their start-ups and who couldn’t find the support they needed locally. The impact and quick growth of this ecosystem is a testament to this (previously) untapped potential.
“Science Creates helps scientists and engineers turn their ground-breaking discoveries into inventions that can significantly improve the health of people and the planet”, says Ben Hetherington, head of outreach. “Our mission to support these technical founders spans decades and starts at an early age – much before they even know they will become founders.”
Deep tech has the potential to revolutionise how we live and solve major global challenges that require bold, disruptive innovation, according to Francis Lister, head of platform., who adds:“The first step to long-term impact is empowering people at the forefront of research and discovery to deliver the next breakthroughs.”
How does all this work look in practice? Science Creates is helping the growth of this the sector by providing lab, office and event space to deep tech companies to develop their technologies; supporting deep tech start-ups nationally with venture capital investment; enabling more technical founders to build deep tech start-ups through training, resources, mentorship and partnerships; and inspiring the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs through charitable programmes. One such programme is Science Creates Outreach, which is actively fundraising to diversify the scientific workforce and empower the next generation of innovators through school workshops with real-life scientists, site visits, work experience opportunities and internships. Later on, when people have started a career in research through a PhD or a postdoc, Science Creates can support them with training (accelerator programmes and events) to help them start their journey as deep tech founders.
“Bristol has a history of being the home to innovators and entrepreneurs, and it has a remarkable academic talent pool that produces world-class research,” says Ashley Brewer, head of property. “Scientists already have some of the most important ingredients to become entrepreneurs – drive, resilience, problem-solving ability, creativity – but they need specialist support, infrastructure and investment to succeed.”
Since 2017, Science Creates has designed and built two purpose-built incubators for deep tech – over 45,000 sq ft of specialist lab, office and event space. OMX, its upcoming third incubator, will increase this footprint to more than 75,000 sq ft and provide much-needed lab space for start-ups to grow and continue developing their technologies – big breakthroughs at the intersection of research fields such as quantum, AI and biotechnology, where the team is seeing significant leaps.
Ideas in action
Science Creates’ flagship accelerator programmes support scientists with innovations in engineering biology – a growing field using modern breakthroughs in biotechnology to solve critical problems in medicine, the environment and food security – helping them to navigate the early stages of setting up a new company through training, funding and expert mentoring. These accelerator programmes have supported 43 entrepreneurial scientists from across the UK and resulted in 35 UK-funded EngBio companies being founded since summer 2023; five of these are Bristol-based.
neo-fossil is a Science Creates-based start-up co-founded and led by Dr Joshua Ress-Garbutt, which is engineering bacteria to capture and store carbon dioxide for centuries, mitigating the impact of carbon emissions on global warming and environmental damage. Founded in 2023 during the accelerator programme, neo-fossil was one of 20 graduate companies to be awarded a £50k feasibility award from UK Research and Innovation at the end of the programme, and has since gone on to raise £60,000 from Bethnal Green Ventures. neo-fossil.com
Scarlet Therapeutics is a start-up based in Science Creates’ Old Market incubator and is also backed by SCVC, Science Creates’ venture capital arm. The start-up has developed ‘lab-grown’ blood that can be used therapeutically to treat a number of diseases, including metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cancer. The company is using their technology to initially focus on two rare metabolic diseases, hyperammonemia and hyperoxaluria, that are due to the build-up of toxic by-products in the body. scarlet-tx.com
A whole new world
MyWorld (myworld-creates.com) is exploring the future of creative technology innovation by pioneering new ideas, products and processes – bringing together 13 partners including the likes of Watershed, BBC, local universities, BT, Bristol Old Vic and Aardman. The programme (funded by £30 million from UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places Fund) is creating the opportunity for businesses to access pre-market research, world class facilities, funding, tools and training.
“There’s a lot that comes to mind when thinking about why Bristol has been such a success in becoming a home to creative tech, and I think that you can look at a unique combination of tangible and intangible qualities,” explains Oscar De Mello, MyWorld’s operations director.
“From its location, facilities, and talent pool to its vibrant culture and natural sense of creative disruption to the status quo, with solutions found in community and connectedness that help to just make things better. This is at the core of the city and its people, and really drives the creative energy of the place.
“The tech sector here has grown significantly over the past decades, supported by substantial investment – some of the highest levels in the UK outside London. The presence of two excellent universities in the city further strengthens this ecosystem by fostering spinouts and enabling collaboration between academia and industry.”
Oscar notes that Bristol also excels in production, particularly in areas like natural history filmmaking, which has flourished here for years. This foundation in both creative and technical industries has been critical to the city’s growth as a leading creative tech hub and the marriage of these industries reflects the collaborative spirit for which the city is known.
“Another key factor is Bristol’s culture,” he adds. “The city is known for its anti-conformist and disruptive spirit, which creates a welcoming and inspiring environment for creative innovation. It’s important to recognise in all of this that many of those born or drawn here who work in creative tech are freelancers, they play a huge role in driving forward and supporting the industry, but many are currently facing challenges due to shifts in the film and TV industries.
“As for MyWorld, the program has built upon the strong foundation that already exists in the region. Funded by the UKRI Strength in Places Fund, MyWorld has leveraged Bristol’s existing strengths in research, production, and technology. It has helped amplify the fantastic work already being done in the sector, driving further growth and innovation while cementing Bristol’s position as a leader in creative tech.”
Temple of tech
A major milestone for MyWorld this year will be the opening of a new research facility at the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, often referred to as ‘The Sheds’. The space is equipped with advanced tools, including a 9x3m LED wall, motion capture, volumetric capture, and live broadcast capabilities. Additionally, the facility is adjacent to a 35-seat Dolby Atmos-level Smart Cinema, which allows for monitoring audience reactions, including physiological and neurological responses, to the content they’re watching. This setup enables creators to iterate and refine their work based on real-time audience feedback.
The studio and cinema in combination function as an experimental lab for exploring large-scale, live, immersive performances. This means businesses can conduct research on how to capture a performance, such as a concert or sporting event, and stream it in real time to an audience in a different location, maybe in a virtual venue that only exists in a digital space. This not only allows a whole new kind of experience with greater artist-audience interaction, but by using a virtual venue you make this kind of experience more accessible than a physical venue.
Get hearts racing
A standout example is the collaboration between MyWorld partner Bristol Old Vic and the production company Complicité with the performance Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.
During several performances, audience members were equipped with monitoring devices to measure their physical responses to the show. These included heart rate, skin conductance and movement patterns. Simultaneously, the performance was broadcast live to a separate group of viewers watching in an ‘at-home’ environment. These remote viewers were also monitored in the same way, enabling researchers to compare the physiological responses of in-theatre audiences with those of ‘at-home’ viewers. This study offered valuable insights into how live, in-situ experiences, and remote live-streamed experiences differ, paving the way to improve future broadcast versions for remote audiences. Beyond the technological innovation, this work illustrates the transformative potential for the arts. Many theatres are looking at diversifying their revenue streams as they try to mitigate reliance on Arts funding that is increasingly uncertain at the moment. Live streaming capabilities are a great way to achieve this, but capturing the liveness and sense of ‘being there’ through a live stream is a real social and technological challenge; one that MyWorld is helping to solve.
Fair and square
Bristol Innovations is the University of Bristol’s innovation arm that manages some hubs and incubators including Engine Shed, SETsquared Bristol (setsquared-bristol.co.uk) and the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC). It’s the perfect example of how different organisations are collaborating to achieve technological breakthroughs. Engine Shed is a physical innovation hub next to to Temple Meads station, providing space, membership, training and events to individuals and businesses; meanwhile, QTIC is a cutting-edge quantum innovation hub in the city centre, providing round-the-clock access to affordable, dry laboratory spaces that are of a high spec – helping deep tech companies launch, grow and connect. The SETsquared partnership is a collaboration between six leading research-led UK universities (Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey).
SETsquared Bristol has been around since 2002, supporting hundreds of promising start-ups. Founders can tap into a vast array of resources and benefits. Similar to the other incubation organisations, it offers coaching, training, workspaces and a vibrant network of advisors and investors.
Over the last five years alone, SETsquared Bristol has raised £276 million total investment, which created 1,175 jobs.
“At SETsquared we are proud to support some of the most innovative emerging tech entrepreneurs in the UK,” says Rosie Bennett, innovation lead at Bristol Innovations. “Bristol’s success as a home for exciting tech startups can be attributed to its robust ecosystem, talented workforce, focus on innovation and sustainability, and high quality of life. The city has cultivated a strong collaborative environment of business networks, accelerators and investment initiatives to support start up growth.
Get hearts racing
A standout example is the collaboration between MyWorld partner Bristol Old Vic and the production company Complicité with the performance Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.
During several performances, audience members were equipped with monitoring devices to measure their physical responses to the show. These included heart rate, skin conductance and movement patterns. Simultaneously, the performance was broadcast live to a separate group of viewers watching in an ‘at-home’ environment.
These remote viewers were also monitored in the same way, enabling researchers to compare the physiological responses of in-theatre audiences with those of ‘at-home’ viewers. This study offered valuable insights into how live, in-situ experiences, and remote live-streamed experiences differ, paving the way to improve future broadcast versions for remote audiences. Beyond the technological innovation, this work illustrates the transformative potential for the arts. Many theatres are looking at diversifying their revenue streams as they try to mitigate reliance on Arts funding that is increasingly uncertain at the moment. Live streaming capabilities are a great way to achieve this, but capturing the liveness and sense of ‘being there’ through a live stream is a real social and technological challenge; one that MyWorld is helping to solve.
Fighting the good fight
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health crisis, where antimicrobial medicines are no longer effective in killing or slowing the growth of microorganisms. This resistance renders standard treatments ineffective, leading to persistent infections, longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality.
However, SETsquared Bristol member FluoretiQ has developed SCFI (Sub-Cellular Fluctuating Imaging), an advanced optical system designed to analyse nanoscale movements within bacterial cells.
The development comes from a collaboration between the medtech start-up and a team of researchers at the University of Bristol, led by Dr Massimo Antognozzi.
This technology can meticulously track and interpret the subtle changes that occur in response to antibiotic treatments, and within just 30 minutes of exposure, accurately determine the state of the cells, whether they are alive, dead, or in the process of dying.
The rapid assessment will allow healthcare professionals to identify the most effective antibiotics for each patient faster, reducing the time needed for treatment while ensuring that the correct medication is prescribed first-time for patients. Using it in clinical settings could significantly enhance the precision and speed of antibiotic selection, a critical factor in the fight against antibiotic resistance. fluoretiq.com
