Southampton Science Park puts out call for Catalyst business accelerator

Published by

Daniel Face

Last year’s Catalyst cohort

Southampton Science Park is now welcoming applications for this year’s Catalyst programme, a business accelerator for founders of startups and early-stage companies.

The free six-month programme involves one-to-one mentoring and small group learning, best practice workshops and pitching practice. Participants also get desk space at the park’s Incubation Centre.

Lee Llewellyn Lloyd, founder of Basingstoke-based marketplace app AddTime, successfully applied to the 2023-24 programme, describing it as an ‘eye-opening journey’.

“If you feel lonely, as most start up founders do, Catalyst is a great opportunity to be challenged, learn from likeminded individuals, see different perspectives and benefit from support and tools to build your business”, he added.

Last year’s cohort also included founders of a smart vaping detection system (VapeGuardian), a medical device to improve outcomes for mothers in cases of prolonged second stage labour (BirthGlide), and an AI-based surveyor to help prospective buyers identity defects in a property (PropInspector).

Unlike similar programmes, Catalyst does not require any equity stake. It also boasts a success rate of almost double the national average, with 80 per cent of participating businesses continuing to trade after three years.

The programme receives national funding via Test Valley Borough Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.