Our venture portfolio
Our researchers and students are using their skills, knowledge and research to form new spin-outs, start-ups and social enterprises that are at the forefront of new technologies, medical advances, and sustainable approaches.
Exeter Innovation in numbers
£12m
In 2021-22, University of Exeter spin-outs raised over £12 million in external investment.
Top 20
With 26 spin outs created since 2011, we are in the Top 20 UK universities for number of spin-outs created (Beauhurst Spotlight on Spinouts 2023).
£28m
In 2021-22, our graduate start-ups had a combined annual turnover of over £28 million.
Showcase
Here are some of the ventures whose work is helping to create a greener, healthier and fairer future.
Another Way
Educating and empowering sustainable living
Amy Bray is a passionate social entrepreneur and Marine Biology graduate, who established the environmental charity ‘Another Way’ when she was only 16 years old. Aiming to empower people to live more sustainably, the charity educates the public through workshops and events, runs zero waste shops, and has so far planted nearly 30,000 trees. Her dedication to promoting environmental awareness has led to numerous media appearances, including CountryFile, BBC Radio 4, 5 Live, and Good Morning Britain.
Attomarker
Rapid diagnostics at the point-of-care
Attomarker was founded in 2008, spinning out from Professor Andrew Shaw’s research group, Attomarker works in the personalised medicine market and is committed to providing rapid diagnostics. The company is currently focussed on long COVID and COVID-19, infection (including sepsis) and immunity, liver health, obesity and diabetes, food allergy and antimicrobial resistance.
Build Solar
Solar glass bricks for sustainable energy
Founded by Professor Tapas Mallick and Dr Hasan Baig, Build Solar produces solar glass bricks that generate electricity and can fit seamlessly into new buildings or renovations, offering a sustainable and efficient energy solution.
Impactic Volunteers
Volunteering to bridge the digital skills gap
Business School graduate Molly Bevan founded Impactic Volunteers, a non-profit social enterprise which runs bespoke skills-based volunteering events, known as “Impactathons”, to bridge the digital skills gap between charities and the corporate world. Molly's mission is to empower corporate sector employees to effectively utilise their volunteering days, leveraging their unique skillsets to drive real impact.
Minviro
Sourcing minerals in a sustainable way
Founded in 2019 by Professor Frances Wall, Professor Xiaoyu Yan and PHD student Dr Robert Pell, Minviro helps mining companies ensure critical minerals for the sustainable economy are sourced sustainably and efficiently, using their proprietary life cycle assessment and circular economy software tools.
Minviro already employs a team of 16, has completed over 100 + projects across 24 countries and secured £2.1m in private investment in early 2023 to scale their SaaS platform internationally.
Mandulo Foundation
Providing STEM education to impoverished areas
Business School graduate Zwelakhe Gila is an award-winning social activist and entrepreneur. He is the Director of Mandulo Foundation; an NGO based in South Africa and the United States that provides STEM programs in impoverished areas as well as a food distribution pantry that has provided over 10 million meals to date. In 2021, he co-founded Good Data Hub, a company that aims to make sustainability reporting easy and accessible for data scientists.
MitoRx Therapeutics
Arresting degenerative disease
MitoRx Therapeutics spun out in 2021 from Prof Matt Whiteman’s research laboratory. MitoRx's mission is to become the leading global developer of medicines arresting the progression of degenerative diseases driven by mitochondrial dysfunction. The company is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing our first-in-class, orally delivered, mitochondrial protective therapeutics targeting rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disease.
Quanterra Systems
The carbon and ecosystem monitoring solution
Quanterra offers carbon and ecosystem monitoring for nature-based solutions, giving their customers more time to focus on ecosystem management. Founded in Jan 2021 by Dr Rebecca Mitchell, Dr Robert Clement and Dr Timothy Hill.
Sanctuary Health
Health content to help educate patients
James Naylor is the co-founder of Sanctuary Health, a Health Tech startup that licenses ready-to-use health education content to digital health companies, insurers, and hospitals. Inspired by his own journey being diagnosed with a health condition and the struggle of finding engaging and understandable information, James and his co-founder Jack came up with the idea of health and wellness content app, Livitay (since rechristened Sanctuary Health).
Seaweed Generation
Carbon mitigation using seaweed technology
Cofounded in 2021 by Prof Mike Allen, Seaweed Generation is developing AI drones to unlock gigatonne-scale ocean carbon removal. The AlgaRay robot intercepts problematic Sargassum seaweed which plagues communities across the Caribbean region and sinks it in to the deep ocean to fight climate change.
SENISCA
World leaders in the RNA biology of ageing
Founded in 2020 from Prof Lorna Harries’ RNA biology lab, SENISCA is a biotech spinout developing oligonucleotide and small molecule interventions to target the diseases and aesthetic signs of ageing. SENISCA’s next generation drugs turn back the ageing clock in old cells to reverse cellular senescence and treat age -related conditions.
Tribol Braking ltd
Better brakes for sustainable electric vehicles
Founded in 2022 by Dr Sam Erland and Dr Luke Savage, Tribol produces composite brakes that offer high-performance and durability for electric vehicles.
Watercress Research
Medicines and nutritional supplements from plants
Spun out from Prof Paul Winyard’s research at the University of Exeter in 2019, Watercress Research is a phytochemicals-based company which develops urease inhibitory products from the watercress plant (Nasturtium officinale) for use in continence care, cosmetics and consumer food and drinks.
We Are Bazoo
Sustainable bamboo toilet paper
Founded during the pandemic by Exeter graduates Sanmarie Grobler and Tom Trow, We Are Bazoo produces eco-friendly and sustainable toilet paper made from bamboo, to reduce deforestation and waste.
Wildflower Collective
Sponsoring wildflower meadows
Founded by Dr Grace Twiston-Davies, Wildflower Collective is a not-for-profit that helps fight the climate and environment emergency by creating wildflower spaces for people and nature in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
