Innovate UK Venture Builder Pilot
The Innovate UK Venture Builder supports market-validated deep-tech spin-outs to become investor-ready ventures that secure their first investment. This pilot programme is delivered by Pioneer Group in partnership with Science Creates.
Status: Applications for the pilot cohort are closed. The pilot runs from October 2026 to June 2027.
Supporting spin-outs to become investor ready
The Innovate UK Venture Builder addresses a common problem in the UK innovation ecosystem: spin-outs with validated markets and technology that struggle to reach their first significant investment round.
The programme offers intensive venture building support to help deep-tech spin-outs to become investor-ready. It focuses on three tracks aligned to the UK Government Industrial Strategy priority sectors (IS6): Frontier AI, Engineering Biology and Advanced Materials & Manufacturing.
Who is the Innovate UK Venture Builder for?
The programme is for spin-outs who have completed structured customer discovery and market validation through ICURe or an equivalent programme. As this work is done before the programme begins, participants can focus for nine months on building a strong venture around their technology.
How it works
Funding and expertise to build your venture
Each venture receives an Innovate UK grant of up to £150,000 awarded directly to the company. Ventures also receive intensive support from a delivery team with experience of building and backing successful deep-tech companies.
Get ready for investment
The grant funds the work needed to become investment-ready. This includes documenting intellectual property, gathering commercial evidence, setting out the company’s ownership and structure, and preparing clear, credible financial forecasts. It does not fund technical development.
Build the team you need to grow
The programme also works on the founding team. Potential investors back the team as much as the technology. The programme identifies skills gaps in the current team, and helps address them.
Reach key investment milestones
By the end of the programme, each venture will have worked towards becoming ready for investment and due diligence. Progression is not automatic. Ventures must meet the required milestones at three, six and nine months to continue.
Three tracks aligned to priority sectors
Frontier AI
Teams building new AI technology, where the innovation is the model, architecture or algorithm rather than the deployment of existing tools.
Engineering Biology
Teams applying the design and re-engineering of biological systems to develop new products, processes or services, across biomedicine, food systems, clean growth and environmental solutions.
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
Teams whose technology changes what something is made from, how it performs or how it is manufactured.
The pilot cohort
From October 2026 to June 2027, the 25 ventures in the pilot cohort will receive intensive venture building support and mentoring from sector experts.
Selection was a rigorous two-stage process, testing whether each team had a market-validated innovation evidenced by a named organisation committing cost, effort and defined scope, followed by a competitive Innovate UK grant application. Throughout, teams had to show they could move at pace over the months ahead.
Investor updates
Connect with investment-ready ventures
Venture Builder companies have validated their markets and are working towards their first investment. Each venture was assessed through a competitive grant process and must meet agreed milestones at three, six and nine months to continue on the programme. If you are an investor, sign up to discover featured Venture Builder companies and receive invitations to investor events hosted by Innovate UK Business Connect. To learn more read the ICURe Investor Engagement Guide.
Sign up for investor updates
Advisory board
The Innovate UK ICURe Advisory Board provides independent oversight across Innovate UK ICURe and Innovate UK Venture Builder, bringing experience from research commercialisation, company building and investment.
Delivery partners
Get in touch
Contact us if you have a question or would like to learn more about Innovate UK Venture Builder.