The newly published Spotlight on Spinouts 2026 report from the Royal Academy of Engineering ranks Bristol fourth in the UK and sixth in Europe for the value created by companies spun out from university research over the past 15 years, highlighting the University’s growing reputation as a leading hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialisation.
The achievement places Bristol ahead of all institutions outside Oxford, Cambridge, and London, underlining the strength of the University’s ecosystem and its ability to translate world-leading research and innovation into successful businesses delivering genuine local, national, and global economic and societal impact.
Successful University of Bristol spinouts include PsiQuantum, Graphcore, Scarlet Therapeutics, Perceptual Robotics, Purespring Therapeutics, iCOMAT and Phasecraft.
Overall, the University has supported 46 spinouts backed by venture capitalists (VCs), with a combined enterprise value of £8.5bn.
PsiQuantum, now based in the US, is classed as a unicorn and was valued at $7bn last year, making it one of the world's most valuable quantum technology companies.
Dr Sophie Collet, the University of Bristol’s Executive Director for Research, Enterprise and Innovation, said: “This recognition reflects the strength of our innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture, which transforms world-leading research into real-world impact. Spinouts from the University of Bristol are addressing major global challenges while attracting significant investment. The new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus and Bristol Innovations Zone will further strengthen our capability and that of the region to enable deep tech companies to grow, collaborate, and scale globally.”
The Spotlight on Spinouts 2026 report states: “UK Spinout activity is becoming increasingly geographically diverse, with strong growth beyond the Golden Triangle and a broad range of universities generating significant value.
“Bristol stands out as the highest-ranked institution outside of the Golden Triangle with 46 VC-backed spinouts, 15 of which have reached $10 million+ in funding. Its strong score is also attributable to AI chips startup Graphcore, while US-based quantum spinout PsiQuantum raised $2.6bn and was valued at $7bn in June 2025.”
Dr Manjari Chandran-Ramesh, Committee Member, Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Committee, said: "UK spinouts are central to translating frontier research into commercial impact, with a direct role in addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges. Over the past six years, the innovation landscape has evolved and spinouts have remained on a clear trajectory of growth. They are now more visible as a distinct and essential component of the UK’s innovation economy, warranting sustained attention from across the ecosystem.”
This news follows The European Spinout Report 2025 - the first comprehensive analysis of the academic spinout sector across Europe published in December. It ranked Bristol fifth in the UK and tenth in Europe for life sciences and deep tech spinouts.
Opening in 2026 at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, the Bristol Innovations Zone will bring together world-class research, specialist facilities and innovation expertise with businesses of all sizes – from start-ups to global enterprises. It is a connected ecosystem designed to accelerate discovery, de-risk research and development, and drive inclusive economic growth through collaboration.
The University of Bristol was one of six universities in the SETsquared partnership that teamed up with leading regional investment firm QantX to launch a £300m spin-out focused investment vehicle.