Science Creates Accelerate, the engineering biology accelerator launched last year in partnership with government agency UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has announced the second round of its flagship programme with the support of leading European and US venture capitalists.

The new programme, which is funded through UKRI’s Technology Mission Fund, is open to anyone with an existing engineering biology start-up in its very early stages or anyone wishing to launch one.

Technology may be focused on either biomedicine, environmental solutions, food systems or clean growth, with the UK-wide hybrid programme set to take place at Science Creates’ DeepTech hub in Bristol, as well as remotely, over nine weeks starting from 17 June.

Described as a “unique”, equity-free partnership, venture capitalists involved take no equity and no right of first refusal in companies formed through the accelerator.

“Our objective is to build an internationally recognised accelerator programme that gives the direct training and mentorship that is so important when transitioning from scientist to entrepreneur,” said Dr Harry Destecroix, Science Creates founder and managing partner of DeepTech investor SCVC.

Destecroix noted that neither SCVC nor its partners taking any equity or option to invest is an intentional choice because it believes the opportunity is both “enormous and largely untapped”.

He continued: “For us, it’s about getting the best VCs together and developing the best founders to forge great co-investments that will lead to building a new wave of multibillion dollar startups that could move the needle in terms of healthcare and sustainability.”

---