Activation Partners

With applications opening on August 17th for ARIA’s 3rd cohort of Programme Directors, this event also offers a direct look into one of the most high-impact roles in UK R&D. ARIA Programme Directors are empowered with ~£50M budgets to design and lead ambitious, multi-year programmes selecting, funding, and actively steering diverse project portfolios across disciplines to unleash transformative change.

Whether you are a deeply technical leader seeing opportunity where others don't, a founder or researcher aligned with ARIA’s mission, or an ecosystem builder, join us to connect directly with the ARIA team and experience the cutting-edge companies commercialising research on the front lines.

Please note this event will be held at the Bayes Centre.

How can emerging technologies help tackle society's biggest challenges? As AI transforms the way organisations work, mission-driven founders have a unique opportunity to scale their impact, reach more communities, and unlock new opportunities for funding, partnerships, and growth.

Join Social Founders and Venture Café London for an evening exploring the future of social innovation.

Meaningful ideas and big changes are sparked when serendipitous connection collides with intention. We're hitting the road to Dundee and Glasgow for two special pop-up gatherings connecting creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and visionaries to build a stronger, more inclusive and equitable innovation ecosystem across Scotland.

This event will be held in Dundee and due to limited capacity pre-registration is required.

Meaningful ideas and big changes are sparked when serendipitous connection collides with intention. We're hitting the road to Dundee and Glasgow for two special pop-up gatherings connecting creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and visionaries to build a stronger, more inclusive and equitable innovation ecosystem across Scotland.

This event will be held in Glasgow and due to limited capacity pre-registration is required.

The Encode Fellowship sits between academia and company building. Fellows have the freedom to explore ideas whose eventual output might be a research tool, open-source model, dataset, venture or new organisation. The first cohort has already produced papers, open-source tools, collaborations and two ventures. Join us to welcome Cohort 2, and hear their plans for the 12 months ahead.

ARIA has opened applications for their third cohort of Programme Directors from 17 August - 28 September, for a May 2027 start date. This is a unique opportunity for scientific and technical leaders with deep expertise across one or more fields, and a focused, creative vision for how science and technology can enable a better future.

Join for an opportunity to learn more about ARIA and how it funds programmes, and hear directly from current Programme Directors on what made them apply and the impact their work is having.

Today, Naturetech is creating new offset markets, fighting wildfires with drones, mapping oceans and mitigating flood risk. The naturetech of tomorrow, has the power to shift our entire economy from extractive to regenerative. 

In partnership with Afloat, this event will outline the organisations insights into the global naturetech innovation sector and hear from those on the front lines of mitigating nature risk.

Join Manchester's innovation community as we explore the opportunities shaping the months ahead - from emerging technologies and funding calls to partnerships, investment and new routes to growth. Hear from founders, investors, researchers and innovation leaders on what's next for the ecosystem, then connect with the people and organisations who can help turn ambition into action.

Women’s health startups face unique challenges on the road to growth, from fundraising and partnerships to censorship, the data gap, and persistent societal stigma. 

Join founders and investors as we explore what it really takes to scale a women’s health company from Seed to Series A and beyond, sharing practical lessons, hard-won insights, and strategies for building category-defining businesses.

Great ideas don't succeed on their own - they need people to believe in them. Whether you're seeking investment, customers, collaborators, grant funding or internal buy-in, your ability to communicate your vision can make all the difference.

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.

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.

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.

​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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.