Social Venture Spinouts at Bristol
Our social venture spinouts transform world-leading research into practical solutions that improve lives, strengthen communities and address societal challenges.
Founded by University of Bristol researchers, these mission-driven organisations combine academic insight with entrepreneurial action. They take many forms — including charities, social enterprises, community interest companies and purpose-led businesses — but share a common goal: creating meaningful and measurable social impact.
Today, Bristol is home to a growing portfolio of 15 social venture spinouts spanning areas such as health and wellbeing, education, sustainability, community development, culture and international development.
A distinctive strength of the University of Bristol
Social venture spinouts are recognised as an important area of innovation and impact at the University of Bristol. Alongside our internationally recognised strengths in science and technology commercialisation, Bristol has developed a distinctive approach to supporting ventures emerging from Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy (SHAPE).
Many of society's most pressing challenges require more than technological solutions alone. They require new ways of thinking, behaving, organising and engaging with communities. Our social venture spinouts translate research insights into sustainable organisations capable of delivering long-term social value at local, national and global scales.
The University's Research Commercialisation team has developed specialist expertise in supporting these ventures. Working alongside researchers, founders and partners, we help shape appropriate pathways to impact, whether through charities, social enterprises, community interest companies, purpose-led businesses or other innovative models. This support is complemented by tailored programmes, funding opportunities and national partnerships that help researchers turn promising ideas into thriving organisations.
Together, these ventures demonstrate how research can create lasting benefit for people, society and the planet.
Explore our social venture spinouts
Discover the organisations founded by Bristol researchers and learn how they are translating research into real-world impact.
- AffempreneursA social venture that provides young women micro-entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa with business skills, mentorship, financial resources, and wellbeing support, to start and sustain successful enterprises.
- Bridging HistoriesA change maker organisation that is creating global chapters of ambassadors that are trained, funded and supported to develop grass roots movements in their communities.
- Circular Agriculture HubThe Circular Agriculture Hub was co-founded by Lucy McCarthy to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, ensuring that surplus produce reaches potential users.
- Equal In-SightA software platform and consultancy that analyses an organisations equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data, delivers an EDI audit with bespoke analysis and action plans using policy and social network analysis.
- Evidence to ImpactEvidence to Impact connects academic research with practical application, collaborating across the research cycle to uncover barriers to adoption and chart pathways to market.
- Global Talent FundThe Global Talent Fund is a nonprofit organisation working to discover, nurture, and empower talented youth worldwide
- Good GriefThe Good Grief Festival provides a groundbreaking solution by creating a safe, creative, and compassionate space to explore death, dying, and bereavement.
- HeddleHeddle is the world’s fastest-growing community of English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers.
- The Diary ToolkitThis toolkit is a hybrid of a diary and a journal designed specifically for educators. It aims to increase happiness and job satisfaction.
- IRISiIRISi delivers evidence based support interventions to benefit survivors of domestic violence and abuse and to help reduce the associated societal burdens.
- JITSUVAXJITSUVAX Training equips health workers to effectively navigate vaccine conversations, to build trust, correct misinformation, and support informed decisions.
- Peaceable CICPeaceable CIC develops and disseminates human-centred PeaceTech tools, programmes and collaboration spaces that support conflict transformation and socially resilient environments on and offline.
- Tabletop TravelsTabletop Travels delivers immersive, artist‑curated cultural journeys that let you experience the richness of Europe from the comfort of home.