• Swindon & Wiltshire Innovation
• Tuesday November 10 2026

West of England innovators to share £8.5m investment

Innovative businesses across the West of England are set to benefit from an additional £8.5m investment from the British Business Bank, delivered through its South West Investment Fund.

The funding will unlock new equity investment for high-growth companies in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

It will be managed by South West Investment Fund equity fund manager Maven Capital Partners.

The investment is aimed at businesses aligned with the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, including firms in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, life sciences, and professional and business services.

Eligible high-growth businesses outside the eight priority sectors will also be able to access funding.

The British Business Bank said the Innovation Cluster would support companies seeking capital to scale, create jobs and bring new products and services to market. It forms part of the Bank’s wider regional programmes, developed in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

The additional £8.5m builds on the work of the South West Investment Fund, which this year marked its third anniversary. The £200m fund has facilitated £157m of investment into 283 businesses across the South West, including £82m from private sector investors.

Previous West of England investments include Bristol biotechnology company Mykor, which secured equity investment as part of a £4m funding round earlier this year. The female-founded business is developing bio-based insulation and building systems designed to reduce the environmental impact of construction.

Bath-based medical diagnostics company ReadyGo (pictured) received a £500,000 equity investment in March 2025. The company develops diagnostic tests and tools for detecting infectious diseases, including technology designed for use outside conventional laboratories.

Eden Conveyancing, also based in Bath, secured £1.275m in equity investment through the Fund in October 2025. The digital conveyancing platform uses technology and automation to bring documents, financial information and communications together in a single online system.

Adam Kelly, managing director of debt and regional funds at the British Business Bank, said: “The South West is home to some of the UK’s most exciting businesses, yet many have historically struggled to access the capital needed to scale.”

He added: “This Innovation Cluster will help to bridge this gap, building on the success we’ve already achieved through the South West Investment Fund to target the high-growth industries that won’t just be important for regional growth, but also national growth.”

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, welcomed the announcement. She said: “This additional £8.5 million investment from the British Business Bank is another big vote of confidence in our region. It will help ambitious firms access the finance they need to create more jobs here and bring new products and services to market.”

The South West Investment Fund provides loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment of up to £5m for smaller businesses across the region. It is designed to increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance and support sustainable economic growth.