SETsquared ranked number one university business incubator at global summit
The SETsquared Partnership, a unique enterprise partnership between five leading, research-led UK universities including the University of Bath, has been ranked the global number one university business incubator for the third consecutive time by leading research and advisory firm, UBI Global.
The title, which was awarded at the recent World Incubation Summit in Qatar on 7th November, continues SETsquared’s ongoing success, having maintained its world-leading position since 2015. This year, the partnership was commended for demonstrating exceptional value for tech start-ups and the local ecosystem.
SETsquared is an enterprise partnership between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey which supports technology-based businesses throughout their lifecycle.
With bespoke entrepreneur training programmes and unrivalled access to a network of mentors, alumni, investors, corporate partners and the knowledge base of the five research-intensive universities, SETsquared has supported over 4,000 UK high-tech start-ups since its inception, helping them raise more than £1.8bn of investment and creating £8.6bn of economic impact to date – a figure which is set to rise to nearly £27bn by 2030.
In the last year alone, 325 students, academics and entrepreneurs in Bath have participated in SETsquared programmes, with supported companies raising £10.5m in investment between them.
The Partnership’s ranking follows the world’s most extensive benchmark study which analyses more than 1,500 incubators and accelerator programmes in 78 countries worldwide. SETsquared scored highly against all 21 key performance indicators (KPIs).
Simon Bond, Innovation Director at SETsquared, said that he was “thrilled” with the ranking.
He explained, “This ranking is testament to the dedication of everyone in the SETsquared team and their commitment to the entrepreneurial talent and research and innovation capabilities of the UK. We hope this ranking demonstrates to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and scale-up businesses across Bath that SETsquared has the experience and track record to help them succeed and grow.”
Ali Amin, CEO and co-founder at UBI Global, added, “Following a rigorous data-driven approach, we assessed and benchmarked incubation programmes across the world.
“The top lists of programmes were each recognised for outstanding performance in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation, but SETsquared really stood out amongst its peers. We’d like to extend our congratulations to the whole team for these exceptional results.”
Caption (L-R): Ali Amin, CEO & Co-Founder UBI Global; Ibrahim Mannai, Executive Director of Advisory and Incubation Qatar Development Bank; Khalid M. Al-Ali, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman SENSETA Qatar; Karen Brooks, Programme Director at SETsquared Partnership; Monika Radclyffe, Centre Director at SETsquared Bristol
