Venture Café, the world’s leading innovation ecosystem activator, will open a Manchester location this Autumn in partnership with ARIA and the newly launched £1.7bn innovation district Sister, which is a joint venture between Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester.
Manchester is the most popular British city outside London for starting a new tech business, with 28 percent of tech leaders saying it’s their top choice, according to recent research by Capital Enterprise. As startup founders and other innovators in the UK increasingly look northwards for talent, research and community support, Venture Café’s arrival in Manchester will give the local innovation ecosystem a powerful extra boost.
Venture Café Manchester will host inclusive, regular, in-person gatherings that help innovators – from startup founders and investors, to scientists, academics and students – to connect, collaborate and build momentum. Launched in Cambridge Massachusetts, Venture Cafe has gone on to activate more than 20 innovation ecosystems worldwide, from Tokyo to Berlin. The Manchester opening follows the launch of Venture Cafe London, the network’s first UK location, in May.
Tim Rowe, Founder and Chair of Venture Café, said:
“In a world dominated by digital connections, the real magic still happens when people meet in person, especially when they do so regularly. That’s what Venture Cafe is all about. Manchester has a rich tradition of tech breakthroughs, from pioneering the world’s first commercial computer to the UK’s first heart transplant, and is now powering ahead in areas such as AI, robotics and clean tech. We’re here to help innovators of all kinds to come together, collaborate and turn the best ideas into reality.”
Manchester’s mayor has announced a 10-year growth plan to add £13bn to the UK economy by doubling the size of the city region’s innovation sector. In the heart of the city, Sister is a being built to supercharge innovation across science, technology and advanced manufacturing. It aims to give the UK’s most ambitious entrepreneurs the space, community and infrastructure they need to transform ideas into successful enterprises, while supporting the next generation of globally significant breakthroughs from the North of England.
Liz Bamber, Director of Place at Sister said:
“We’re thrilled to partner with Venture Café and ARIA to further drive Manchester’s growing innovation ecosystem. At Sister, we know that it takes a community to raise an idea, and this partnership with Venture Café is an excellent complement to the science and technology ecosystem we are building. This is exactly the type of environment where big ideas can take root and grow, a space that nurtures collaboration, innovation and brings together diverse talent. Together, we’re not just creating a physical hub, we’re cultivating a culture of innovation that empowers the next generation of start-ups to shape the future.”
ARIA Chair Matt Clifford said earlier this year,
“For groundbreaking ideas to flourish, they rely on more than funding. They need bold thinking, challenge and serendipity – all in the right rooms. ARIA’s partnership with Venture Café UK is about creating those environments. At ARIA, we’re unlocking new pathways to scientific and technological breakthroughs, backing the audacious ideas that will shape the future. Venture Café brings the energy, collaboration, and openness that helps transform those ideas into movements that can deliver real-world impact.”
ARIA, the ambitious R&D funding agency set up by the Government in 2023 to unlock transformative scientific and technological breakthroughs for the UK and the world, is partnering with Venture Cafe across its first three UK locations.
