Entrepreneurship

Supporting ambitious founders from concept to scale.

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Real impact

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Total investment secured

+

£457m

Over £457 million raised by Bayes Centre-supported businesses through our programmes and ecosystem events.

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Participants supported

+

427

The Bayes Centre has supported 427 ambitious students, researchers and founders to date via our entrepreneurship programmes.

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Employees

+

249

Companies supported by the AI Accelerator employ 249 people.

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Global ranking

+

1

The University of Edinburgh ranked joint 1st in the world for Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (2025 THE Impact Rankings).

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Funding

+

£67m

£67 million + in grant funding raised by participants on Bayes Centre programmes since 2019.

Who we are

Innovating together

We are the University of Edinburgh's innovation hub for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. We facilitate collaboration between researchers, founders, industry and investors to promote a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

wHO for

Whether you're a researcher with an early-stage idea or a startup ready to scale, we have a programme to support your journey.

OuR AMBITION

Pioneering data-driven entrepreneurship to tackle global challenges.

Championing entrepreneurial thinking and supporting the development of ideas, new ventures and scaling businesses to transform innovation into lasting impact.

Programmes

We offer a portfolio of programmes designed to support founders at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey—from idea to venture creation and business growth.

Data Driven Innovation Fellows

Explore commercialisation pathways for your research ideas

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Fellowship

Venture Builder Incubator

Transform university deep tech research into a thriving startup

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Incubator

AI Accelerator

Scale your AI venture with Scotland's leading deep tech accelerator

Learn More
Accelerator
discover

Find the right programme

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I'm University of Edinburgh staff with a research idea

Start with DDI Fellows to explore commercialisation pathways with funding support and expert guidance.

Discover the Innovation Career Pathway for academic researchers.

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I'm a PhD student or early career researcher

Join Venture Builder Incubator to develop your deep tech idea with structured support and access to funding.

Find out more about the support available to students at the Enterprise Portal.

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I have an AI company with early traction

Apply to the AI Accelerator for intensive scaling support, mentorship, and investor introductions.

Events

Entrepreneurship showcase highlights

Joint Venture Builder Incubator and AI Accelerator Showcase Event 2025

Entrepreneurship ecosystem

Collaborative community partners

The Earthshot Prize

Scotland's premier deep tech investment showcase

The Bayes Centre is proud to be an Official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize – a global platform discovering and scaling solutions to repair our planet by 2030. We identify impactful innovations across all five Earthshot categories: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix our Climate. In 2024, University of Edinburgh spinout MiAlgae became a finalist for their sustainable Omega-3 production from algae.

Visit the Earthshot Prize website

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EIE Investor Showcase

Where Scotland's innovation meets investment

Bayes Centre supports EIE, Scotland's leading platform connecting global investors with breakthrough technologies from university spin-outs and scaleups. Since 2008, EIE has fuelled over 550 tech ventures who have secured more than £1.2 billion in investment across quantum computing, space exploration, AI, and sustainable manufacturing.

Learn more about EIE

Case studies

Alumni in Action

Explore the journey of our latest cohorts and the companies from across our entrepreneurship ecosystem.

AI Accelerator

Chirrup.ai: Monitoring Biodiversity and Natural Capital with Chirrup.ai

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Venture Builder Incubator

PharosAI: From VBI Pivot to £44M National Cancer AI Platform

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AI Accelerator

Space Intelligence: From AI Accelerator to Global Milestones

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Venture Builder Incubator

Bennu.ai: AI Robotics for a Sustainable Future

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AI Accelerator

Inicio.AI: Using Conversational AI to Reduce Debt Stress with Inicio.AI

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Venture Builder Incubator

E.V.A Biosystems: Adaptive Biomaterials for a Sustainable Future

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Venture Builder Incubator

Papcup: An Interview with the Founder

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AI Accelerator

BioLiberty: Developing Tech for Positive Real-World Impact

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Venture Builder Incubator

Qinara: An Interview with the Co-Founder

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AI Accelerator

Nooku: Developing Nooku: The Role of the University of Edinburgh

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AI Accelerator

ProfessorMe: Using AI to Create Accessible Learning Tools

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AI Accelerator

Microplate Dx: Reducing Antibiotic Resistance via AI Care

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AI Accelerator

My SMASH Media: Scaling Digital Media via the AI Accelerator

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Venture Builder Incubator

Quas: An Interview with the Co-Founders

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AI Accelerator

Eye to the Future: Achieving Growth with the AI Accelerator

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AI Accelerator

Vahanomy: Advancing Sustainable Finance and AI Innovation

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AI Accelerator

Looper: Scaling Circular Economy Tech via AI Accelerator

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AI Accelerator

iLoF: Revolutionising Alzheimer’s Diagnostics with AI Tools

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Delivered in partnership with

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entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardDDI entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardUoE  - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardDeal Room - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardTech Scaler - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardDeal Room - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardentrepreneurship partner-logo-cardUoE  - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardDeal Room - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardEI  - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-cardTech Scaler - Entrepreneurship partner-logo-card
Open guide to Scotland's entrepreneurial landscape

Scottish Ecosystem Platform - powered by Dealroom

The Scottish Ecosystem Platform, developed with the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Government and Techscaler, provides comprehensive data on Scotland's startup and scaleup environment. Track company profiles, funding rounds, sector trends and ecosystem connections to support investment decisions and entrepreneurial growth. Showcasing Scotland's innovation success stories from BrewDog to Skyscanner with visibility for emerging ventures.

2,500+

Companies tracked

£8B+

Total funding raised

150+

Unicorns & exits

Explore the Scottish Ecosystem Platform to find opportunities, strengthen your network, and access reliable data on Scotland’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Sign up now - it's free!
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