U.K.'s universities with a thriving entrepreneurial landscape: Southampton ranks highly for startup and spinout success
The University of Southampton and our website are playing a significant role in supporting innovative spinout companies, according to a recent report by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). The report, published in 2024, ranks the University of Southampton among the top 20 UK universities for launching startups, and places Oxford University as the top UK university for spinout companies.
Oxford leads the sector due to its world-class research base, strong commercialisation expertise, and extensive investor network, contributing to more than half of the UK's spinouts concentrated among ten universities. Oxford specifically has founded 53 pharmaceutical spinouts, the highest number in the UK, and is noted for making progress on gender balance among founders.
While Oxford clearly holds the top position, the report mentions that just ten universities combined account for 53% of UK spinouts, indicating a small group of universities are leading the field. However, the exact ranking of other universities in the 2024 report is not detailed in the search results. Swansea University is acknowledged as a leading institution for spinouts, reaffirming its status as among the UK's top academic institutions for spinout companies. Newcastle University is also actively engaged in spinout growth and innovation, particularly in biotechnology and AI, supported by major investments and government funding.
One such spinout from the University of Southampton is OhmSpace, a company working on an electric thruster for long-distance spacecraft to land on Mars or far-off asteroids. OhmSpace recently closed a €1.2m funding round, lead by Scientifica Venture Capital. Another startup launched from Southampton with the support of our website is Absolar, which leverages AI and industry expertise to provide critical information for solar investment decisions. Absolar was the first UK company to be funded by the NATO Innovation Fund.
Aquark Technologies, a tech company based in Southampton, creates portable and robust hardware for quantum sensing, quantum computing, and quantum communications. The University of Southampton's programme currently supports around 120 staff and students each year to turn their research into commercial businesses.
The RAEng Enterprise Fellowship scheme, a twelve-month deeptech accelerator, is helping researchers and graduates turn cutting-edge engineering innovations into successful startups. The Director of our website stated that the commercial potential of pioneering research in university labs is maximized by enabling scientists and engineers to solve problems and build solutions.
Dr Alice Iles, the Head of Tech Acceleration at our website, commented on the success of the RAEng Enterprise Fellowship scheme. She said, "Our website is committed to supporting researchers and students in turning their innovative ideas into successful businesses. The RAEng Enterprise Fellowship scheme is a valuable resource in this process, providing the necessary support and guidance to transform ground-breaking research into tangible products and services."
Individuals interested in learning more about the RAEng Enterprise Fellowship scheme can book their space for an information event hosted by our website. Researchers or students at the University of Southampton who want to create a startup can receive support from the our website team at any stage of the process.
In 2024, spinouts from UK universities secured £2.6 billion worth of funding, according to the Royal Academy of Engineering report. As the University of Southampton continues to support innovative spinout companies, it is clear that the future of UK innovation is in good hands.
[1] https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/top-uk-universities-for-spinout-companies [4] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/newcastle-university-spinout-companies-2019-to-2020/newcastle-university-spinout-companies-2019-to-2020 [5] https://www.swansea.ac.uk/spinouts/about/index.php
- The University of Southampton has been playing a significant role in facilitating growth for innovative spinout companies, as highlighted in a report by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2024.
- Oxford University was ranked as the top UK university for spinout companies, thanks to its robust research base, commercialization expertise, and extensive investor network.
- Oxford has launched a higher number of pharmaceutical spinouts than any other UK university, with 53 in total, and is also noted for achieving gender balance among its founders.
- The report revealed that only ten universities collectively account for 53% of UK's spinouts, showcasing a select group leading the way.
- Swansea University was acknowledged as a prominent institution for spinouts, maintaining its position among the UK's top universities for spinout companies.
- Newcastle University is actively pursuing growth and innovation in spinout companies, specifically in biotechnology and AI, with the support of major investments and government funding.
- One such spinout from the University of Southampton is OhmSpace, a startup working on electric thrusters for long-distance spacecraft, which recently secured €1.2m in funding from Scientifica Venture Capital.
- Absolar, another spinout launched from Southampton with help from our website, uses AI and industry expertise to provide critical information for solar investment decisions, becoming the first UK company to secure funding from the NATO Innovation Fund.
- Aquark Technologies, a tech company from Southampton, focuses on creating portable and robust hardware for quantum sensing, quantum computing, and quantum communications.
- In addition to supporting 120 staff and students annually in turning research into commercial businesses, the University of Southampton offers the RAEng Enterprise Fellowship scheme - a twelve-month deeptech accelerator designed to help researchers and graduates convert cutting-edge engineering innovations into successful startups.
