Midlands Mindforge
First multi-university spinout fund covering the English Midlands, backed by eight universities, UKRI, DSIT and the Rigby Group.
Last refreshed: 14 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a consortium of eight Midlands universities compete with Oxford and Cambridge spinout pipelines?
Timeline for Midlands Mindforge
Deployed first investments across three spinout companies
UK Startups and Innovation: Midlands fund writes its first cheques- What is Midlands Mindforge and which universities are involved?
- Midlands Mindforge is a spinout fund backed by eight Midlands universities including Loughborough and Aston, plus UKRI, DSIT, and the Rigby Group. It deployed its first investments of £30m on 10 June 2026.Source: Lowdown
- Why does the UK need a Midlands university spinout fund?
- UK venture investment outside London, Oxford, and Cambridge accounts for less than 20% of total deal flow. Midlands Mindforge was created to close the commercialisation gap for the Midlands' substantial research base, which historically lacked access to early-stage capital.Source: Lowdown
- How much money has Midlands Mindforge deployed so far?
- Midlands Mindforge unlocked £30m for its first investments, deployed on 10 June 2026 into spinouts from its eight founding universities.Source: Lowdown
Background
Midlands Mindforge deployed its first investments on 10 June 2026, unlocking £30m for spinouts emerging from eight Midlands universities. The fund was established to close the commercialisation gap between the region's substantial research base and early-stage venture capital, which has historically concentrated in London, Oxford, and Cambridge. The initial portfolio companies span engineering, life sciences, and advanced materials.
Midlands Mindforge draws on capital from UKRI, DSIT, and the Rigby Group, a Midlands-based technology investor. The eight founding universities include Loughborough, Aston, and others across the East and West Midlands. The structure mirrors university challenge funds used in the golden triangle but is designed to operate at the scale of a dispersed multi-campus region rather than a single institution. Participating universities contribute IP and researcher time in exchange for equity stakes.
The fund's launch is part of a wider government effort to reduce UK regional innovation concentration. Treasury data consistently shows that venture investment outside London, Oxford, and Cambridge accounts for less than 20% of total UK deal flow. Midlands Mindforge is designed to demonstrate that a consortium model can mobilise institutional capital at a scale individual universities cannot achieve alone. Its first-cheque milestone is the earliest signal of whether that model converts into viable portfolio companies.