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Digital Catapult [2022]
Infrastructure
Key sectors
Created in 2013, Digital Catapult drives early adoption of advanced digital technologies. It supports scaling and pipeline businesses through its accelerator and open innovation programmes. Their goal is to break down barriers, de-risk innovation, open up markets and responsibly shape the products, services and experiences of the future.
Since 2018, Digital Catapult has supported more than 3,000 companies in 50+ accelerator cohorts. Collectively, these companies have raised over £477 million and created over 2,000 high value tech jobs.
In 2021, Digital Catapult launched its flagship FutureScope programme bringing together a diverse range of acceleration programmes for early stage and scaling businesses. These foster collaboration across technologies, business stages and markets and address real-world challenges through innovation in immersive technologies; artificial intelligence and machine learning; future networks, including 5G and IoT technologies; and distributive systems such as distributed ledger technologies.
Participating companies access a range of support and facilities including labs and testbeds as well as ethics and business support. Access to finance is a key theme for scaling businesses and Digital Catapult helps them meet this challenge through tailored investment support and mentorship along with a series of fundraising masterclass sessions to help scaleups identify fundraising options. Scaleups benefiting from the programme include Grey Parrot, an AI waste analytics platform, and Carbon Re, a climate tech company using cutting-edge AI solutions to decarbonise cement and steel.
Digital Catapult is government-supported and works with partners across the UK. It has centres in London, the North East, Tees Valley and Northern Ireland.
