Scaling venture science research and innovation

Startup companies are increasingly focused on tackling urgent societal problems (e.g. food systems resilience, mental ill-health, chronic disease management, unemployment, etc.) through new, scalable innovations that have the potential for large-scale impact. Supporting such companies to effectively draw on high quality scientific research, particularly from the social and behavioural sciences, can accelerate their progress, impact and success. Further, through their research and experimentation, startups also create a range of opportunities to advance scientific knowledge and create opportunities for scientists.

This project focuses on developing an approach to commercial innovation that transforms the ways in which startups apply and advance research, particularly from the behavioural and social sciences. A key focus within this project is to explore new forms of support for scientists working in such startups, who are well placed to advance this agenda but currently not well supported or connected. All of this work is focused on four areas: mental health, healthy ageing, economic resilience, and the environment.

Over the last three years, the project team has been working with entrepreneurs building startups that are tackling problems within one of these areas. In the next phase, we plan to further advance this agenda with particular focus on four opportunities: expanding into new areas of science and technology; expanding to work with startups beyond the very early (formation) stages; developing a robust way of measuring the impact of startups on the (e.g. health and environmental) outcomes they are working towards; and testing new forms of support for scientists who work in startups.

The project is being hosted by a venture-builder and investor called Zinc, which runs a number of programmes designed to help individuals have more impact on important societal problems, through science-rich, commercial innovations.