Somerset Innovation Hub: fully-funded support for growing businesses

The Somerset Innovation Hub supports early-stage and growing businesses across the county to turn good ideas into commercially viable ones. Its focus is practical support – where innovation meets the realities of customers, markets, barriers to entry and funding.

In practice, that means supporting people and businesses who are developing new products or services, exploring new markets, building scale and resilience, or rethinking how their business works – through workshops, events, one-to-one advice and expert referrals.

The Hub is fully-funded by Somerset Council and delivered by the University of Exeter's SETsquared team, part of Exeter Innovation.

Since January, this has included regular talks and workshops, all fully-funded, on:

• Investment strategy and investor readiness
• Turning innovative business ideas into a plan that works
• Managing and getting value from intellectual property
• Podcasting effectively for marketing, partnerships and thought leadership
• Using a structured, user-focused approach to turn AI ideas into practical solutions

Recent examples of businesses supported by the hub’s lead, Alex Spalding, include helping a deep‑tech recycling business identify realistic early markets; supporting a sustainable materials company to sequence pilots and partnerships before scaling; guiding an environmental compliance start‑up through funding options and first commercial negotiations; and helping an online marketplace founder test demand before building technology. The consistent emphasis is on reducing risk, testing assumptions and building credible foundations.

Offering founders opportunities to meet and share experience, and connect with expert help where needed, are also important elements of the Hub’s work.

For a conversation, referrals or more details, contact: Alex Spalding, Innovation Support Manager via:

• Email: spalding4@exeter.ac.uk
• LinkedIn: com/company/somerset-innovation-hub