21 May 2025
We are pleased to announce that applications to join the University Southampton Science Park’s prestigious Catalyst business accelerator September cohort have opened.
We joined the Catalyst partnership earlier this year with the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Southampton’s School of Healthcare Enterprise and Innovation to deliver workshops and mentoring.
Catalyst is a highly regarded business support programme. It has benefited over 100 companies which have, between them, created around 260 jobs and raised investment of more than £66 million. Held in-person on two days per week for five months, Catalyst offers a fully-funded programme of mentoring and workshop learning with high-level one-to-one sessions with world-class business mentors, commercially focussed weekly peer group workshops and a prestigious Southampton Science Park business home throughout the programme.
Health Innovation Wessex will be providing a parallel stream for health and medtech businesses, building on the core Catalyst content with additional taught sessions, workshops and mentoring, focussing on product development and market access in the health sector.
Nicky Taylor of Aurora Medical, a March 2025 Catalyst Delegate, said: “The catalyst course has increased our business understanding considerably and given us the confidence and tools to speak with potential investors.
The HIW sessions have given us an in-depth insight into the structure and organisation of the NHS and how to build a strong health economic case for our innovation.
The supportive hands-on approach to each session has encouraged discussion linking all aspects of the syllabus directly to our innovation.
We have nothing but admiration for the session leaders who have gone out of their way to offer individual tailored support.”
Frank Ratcliff, Director of Industry and Innovation at Health Innovation Wessex, said: “We have a long and fruitful relationship with Southampton Science Park and the University of Southampton, working together to provide ever greater support for even more start-ups and furthering our ambitions to accelerate the adoption of viable healthcare solutions.”
Catalyst commences in March and September each year with a maximum of ten companies granted places for each.
Dates to note:
Applications for the programme commencing March September 2025 are now welcome via this simple online application form.
Please ensure you read the application guidelines, and you are able to commit to the course programme before applying.
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For more info, contact the communications team:
(023) 8202 0858