Activation Partners
Empowering talent and supporting science translation across our opportunity spaces
Live opportunities + events
Explore the latest opportunities to engage with our Activation Partners and see what events are coming up.

5050 Cohort Four
Over 14 weeks, you’ll work with the Fifty Years team to answer the following questions: How do I turn breakthrough science into a startup? Am I addressing a problem with a large enough market? How do I recruit a world-class team? Am I the right person to do it?
Rolling applications are open.

Could AI transform your research?
Pillar VC + ARIA are looking for major science challenges, datasets, or high impact ideas where Encode Fellows could collaborate to translate frontier research into venture-scale companies and real world impact.
This is an open, rolling invitation rather than a formal application.
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From circular economy breakthroughs to sovereign supply chain design, a new generation of startups, researchers and policy makers are rewriting the rules of how we source, recover, and reuse the materials underpinning everything from clean energy to quantum, nuclear, and advanced manufacturing.
Join Venture Café London to discuss how demand for critical minerals is opening up opportunities for innovation.
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The Essential Guide to Expanding and Scaling in the U.S
Manchester has built one of the UK's fastest-growing technology and innovation ecosystems - but what comes after success in the UK?
The United States offers one of the world's largest opportunities for business growth – but entering a new market requires careful planning and the right support.
Join this Thursday Gathering for an insightful panel discussion on the key considerations for successful US expansion.
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HardTech Apéro returns to London to bring together the founders, investors and operators building the next generation of real-world technology.
In partnership with Kineo Finance, the evening focuses on the hard realities of scaling hardware businesses: raising the right capital, building production capability, navigating long sales cycles and getting breakthrough technologies into market.
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Whether you’re a researcher with an idea you’re considering spinning out, an aspiring founder looking to join an innovative venture, or simply curious about the entrepreneurial opportunities emerging from biotech and life sciences research, this event is for you.
Discover how the Nucleate UK Activator Programme supports researchers and emerging entrepreneurs on their journey from scientific discovery to venture creation. We’ll also be joined by NWBI (North West Biotech Initiative), a Manchester-based community supporting the growth of the North West’s biotech and life sciences ecosystem.
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Spectral + Spatial Technologies Transforming Life Science Discovery
What could you discover if you could see biology in greater depth, detail and context?
In partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific, join for an evening exploring how advances in spectral flow cytometry and spatial imaging are opening new ways to understand cells, tissues and complex biological systems , and creating new possibilities across biological research and drug discovery.
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Explore The Next Generation of Biotech With Nucleate UK
Join for an evening celebrating the Nucleate community and the next generation of biotech innovation. Hear from Activator alumni and industry experts as they share their experiences, insights and perspectives on turning breakthrough science into transformative ventures.
Whether you’re a researcher exploring entrepreneurship, an experienced biotech leader looking to give back, or simply curious about what’s happening at the frontier of life sciences, come along to meet the community and discover where you could fit in.
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Explore The Next Generation of Biotech With Nucleate UK
Join for an evening celebrating the Nucleate community and the next generation of biotech innovation. Hear from Activator alumni and industry experts as they share their experiences, insights and perspectives on turning breakthrough science into transformative ventures.
Whether you’re a researcher exploring entrepreneurship, an experienced biotech leader looking to give back, or simply curious about what’s happening at the frontier of life sciences, come along to meet the community and discover where you could fit in.
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Explore The Next Generation of Biotech With Nucleate UK
Join for an evening celebrating the Nucleate community and the next generation of biotech innovation. Hear from Activator alumni and industry experts as they share their experiences, insights and perspectives on turning breakthrough science into transformative ventures.
Whether you’re a researcher exploring entrepreneurship, an experienced biotech leader looking to give back, or simply curious about what’s happening at the frontier of life sciences, come along to meet the community and discover where you could fit in.
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In partnership with HerFuture, a community dedicated to empowering women in technology by connecting talent with opportunity through career events, mentorship, workshops, and partnerships with inclusive employers, this summit brings together ambitious women and leading tech companies that are actively hiring.
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Moonfire Founder Pulse is a high-energy, in-person event designed for the city’s tech builders to collaborate, create, and connect. Ditching traditional panels, attendees bring real problems and build tangible solutions live during the evening. With a dynamic mix of builder-led discussion and hands-on sprinting, participants leave not just with new insights, but with working outputs and meaningful connections grounded in shared challenges.
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One year on from our launch, we're bringing together the founders, researchers, investors, corporates, public sector leaders and ecosystem partners who have helped shape Venture Café Manchester into one of the city's most connected innovation communities.