BARCLAYS EAGLE LAB TO OPEN AT THE BRADFIELD CENTRE
- The partnership will support Cambridge entrepreneurs to start up and scale up
- Combines two of the leading existing Cambridge ecosystem players to strengthen the city’s entrepreneurial capability
- It will form part of the largest network of its kind for UK businesses
Ambitious entrepreneurs and SMEs will be able to access advice and support to scale up and innovate thanks to a new partnership between The Bradfield Centre and Barclays Eagle Labs.
A new Eagle Lab presence will be established in The Bradfield Centre, offering 1:1 support to entrepreneurs, access to the extensive Eagle Labs range of programming, and the delivery of entrepreneurial related events in The Centre which will benefit the wider regional tech ecosystem.
The Barclays Eagle Lab network is one of the largest co-working and incubator networks for start-ups and scale-ups in the UK. They aim to help entrepreneurs and businesses collaborate, innovate and grow.
The Cambridge Technology cluster is comprised of more than 3,000 companies with a combined turnover of £5bn p.a, The Cambridge Tech cluster grew employment by 6.9% over the last year, and has been growing at an average of 7.8% p.a. over the last 6 years.
Managing Director of The Bradfield Centre, James Parton said:
“At The Bradfield Centre we have continuously strived to provide the best possible support to the founders of our member companies, whilst providing a hub for the wider tech community across the region. This partnership brings together two organisations committed to the growth of start-ups in Cambridge, both with an impressive track record of impact. I believe this partnership will significantly enhance the scale-up capability in the City”
Sarah Collins, Head of SME, Eastern at Barclays, said:
“We are excited to be partnering with The Bradfield Centre to extend the support offered by Barclays Eagle Labs to start-ups in Cambridge. Barclays Eagle Labs is committed to supporting entrepreneurs and has a mission to inspire and educate ambitious founders and start-ups across the UK to help them succeed.“
Businesses will be able to access banking experts, a network of co-working spaces, mentors and learning tools, as well as events and growth programmes for ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses.
A Barclays Eagle Lab ecosystem manager will be based on site at The Bradfield Centre and will provide support to Bradfield Centre members and visiting entrepreneurs.
The Eagle Lab at The Bradfield Centre will operate alongside The Bradfield Centre’s existing roster of partners and supporting organisations, creating a truly market leading proposition to start-up founders.
James Parton chats to Barclays Benjamin Storey discussing the announcement on Episode 46 of The Inside The Bradfield Podcast.
Click here to listen.
ENDS
About The Bradfield Centre:
Owned by Trinity College Cambridge, and Operated by Mantle Space Ltd, The Bradfield Centre is a collaborative entrepreneurial community of technology start-ups and scale-ups. More than 600 members call our 40,000 sq/ft state of the art facilities home, and we host hundreds of free to attend Tech events every year.
Everything is designed with one purpose in mind - accelerate ambitious tech businesses to new levels. We attract smart, ambitious, like-minded people from Cambridge and beyond. We immerse them in the right culture, connect them to our partners, experienced mentors, and offer them a broad range of services that will help fuel their growth.
About Barclays Eagle Labs
A platform to connect the UK’s entrepreneurial community
Eagle Labs are a growing national network of incubator spaces that provide business incubation, mentoring and co-working space for ambitious high-growth businesses as well as digital skills development and rapid prototyping through onsite digital fabrication equipment and Industry 4.0 expertise at many of our sites.
By cultivating a community of likeminded entrepreneurs through a providing a collaborative work environment, access to their peers and opportunities to maximise growth through digital connections, curated events and funding opportunities, Eagle Labs are able to help start-ups to grow at pace.
Eagle Labs also specialises in positively disrupting key industries by bringing together key corporate players, industry bodies, leading universities and start-ups to enable rapid innovation and investment by asking them to collaborate and currently have dedicated LawTech, HealthTech and AgriTech industry-aligned programmes.
With a network of Eagle Labs supporting 30 business ecosystems across the country and more in the pipeline, our focus is to help to connect, educate and accelerate ambitious UK businesses and entrepreneurs.