The University of Bristol ranked third in a UK for attracting equity investment for its spin-out companies last year, a report has found.
Businesses founded at the institution secured 25 equity deals in 2021, according to research from investment firm Parkwalk and data analysts Beauhurst.
Only the universities of Oxford and Cambridge finished above Bristol, with Oxford’s spin-outs cracking 57 deals worth £743m and Cambridge’s ventures raising £501m from 42 deals.
Ultraleap, another Bristol spin-out that has developed touchless technology used by brands including PepsiCo and Lego, raised £60m in a Series D investment funding round.
Cambridge company Forefront RF raised an initial £1.5m last year, in a round led by Bristol deep-tech support group Science Creates, to commercials cancellation technology developed at the university that redesigns radio frequency systems in wireless devices.
Bio-tech start-up CytoSeek also raised £3.5m to accelerate the development of new cell therapies to treat solid tumours in cancer patients.
Bristol’s spin outs are supported by the university’s Research and Enterprise Division to shape and develop the commercial potential of technology and protect intellectual property.
Professor Michele Barbour, associate pro vice-chancellor for enterprise and innovation at the University of Bristol and founder of dental and oral hygiene firm Pertinax Pharma, said: “I am delighted to see so much success for the University’s spin-out companies.
“As a company founder myself, I know how valuable it is to have a world-leading commercialisation team guiding a spinout from the laboratory to investment.”
Overall, the report found that 2021 was a record year for equity investments in UK spin-out companies, which secured a total of £2.5bn of investment.
Henry Whorwood, co-author of the report, said: “Spinouts make up only 0.03% of the UK’s business population. But they get more investment than average, and more exits than average. It’s heartening to see record levels of investment into spinouts this year because the intellectual property these businesses are commercialising has the potential to change lives."
Oxford Nanopore Technologies, spun out of the University of Oxford, achieved the biggest investment deal of 2021. The London-listed firm, which is developing DNA and RNA sequencing technology, raised £195m from investors including IP Group, Temasek and Nikon.
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