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Investing in world-class science and technology business in the Midlands.
Co-founded by eight research-intensive universities, collectively ranking number one for world-leading research power.
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Midlands Mindforge is an ambitious, patient capital investment company co-founded by eight research-intensive universities in the Midlands. We invest in ground-breaking science and technology to build the businesses that bring it to market.
Through equity investment combined with hands-on company-building support, we create the conditions for spinouts and early-stage science and technology businesses to scale and thrive, right here in the Midlands.
The Midlands was the birthplace of the first industrial revolution and is set to play a central role in turning the ambitions of the Modern Industrial Strategy into reality. Across its 20 universities, the region commands nationally significant strengths in engineering and manufacturing, life sciences and health technologies, AI, quantum, and clean energy. Together, these capabilities form a comprehensive commercialisation ecosystem, attracting £6bn in research funding between 2019 and 2024, and that has produced 352 IP-rich spinout businesses.
Equity investment into UK spinouts has grown at a 17.5% CAGR (2014–2024), and in 2024 UK spinout growth at seed stage was 2.1× that of other seed companies. Our goal is to build a highly collaborative spinout ecosystem throughout the region, creating a virtuous cycle of more spinouts attracting more talent, more growth, and more opportunities.
Mindforge targets early-stage science and technology businesses in three focus areas.
Precision health, imaging, diagnostics and therapeutics from world-class research.
Quantum, AI, semiconductors, frontier engineering and advanced materials & manufacturing.
Net-zero, fusion, sustainable agriculture and climate-positive technologies.
Our partner universities collectively rank number one for world-leading research power. Despite this, there is a significant funding gap for spinouts in the Midlands versus the Golden Triangle.
Midlands Mindforge acts as a catalyst, bringing in coinvestment partners and working with regional stakeholders and government to create a self-reinforcing cycle of innovation, growth, and opportunity.
Stories of breakthrough research, spinout milestones, and ecosystem partnerships from across the Midlands Innovation network.