University of Birmingham-led Health Tech Accelerator Secures £4m to Extend Innovation Support in the West Midlands

By Anushka Malhotra

1 minute 25 seconds

Investment

Share:

Quick Read: The University of Birmingham-led WMHTIA has secured £4m to extend its support for health tech innovators across the West Midlands, building on strong job creation, investment, and business growth.

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), led by the University of Birmingham, has secured an additional £4 million in public funding to continue its work into 2025/26, further strengthening the region's position as a UK leader in health tech innovation.

The funding forms part of a wider £30 million extension of the national Innovation Accelerator (IA) programme, which supports high-growth sectors through locally driven innovation. The West Midlands, along with Greater Manchester and the Glasgow City Region, will each receive an equal £10 million share to help fuel regional economic development and technological advancement.

The WMHTIA, a flagship initiative within the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) IA programme, has already demonstrated strong results since launching in 2022, including:

- 110 jobs created or safeguarded

- Support provided to 105 health tech companies and research teams

- £2.48m in additional grant funding awarded

- £28.4m in private co-investment secured in the first year

- 269 health tech organisations engaged in its support network

Professor Liam Grover, WMHTIA Lead, commented:

“This funding extension gives us the momentum to build a truly thriving cluster in the West Midlands. The results from the past two years show just how deep the region’s health tech potential runs.”

The programme has played a key role in connecting academia, industry, and healthcare, with strategic partnerships involving the NHS, universities, and private sector innovators.

Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global at Innovate UK, said:

“The WMHTIA is a key part of connecting local talent and technologies to national healthcare challenges. This continued investment will help bring ground-breaking innovations to market and support the NHS.”

The WMHTIA includes partners from Aston University, Birmingham City University, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, and other regional institutions. The extension ensures continued support for a pipeline of promising companies developing transformative healthcare products and services.

As the programme enters its third year, the University of Birmingham and its partners are poised to deepen their impact—supporting start-ups, accelerating R&D, and driving economic growth in health and life sciences across the West Midlands.

What's new

School of Coding Secures Investment to Launch UK’s First AI Learning Lab in Birmingham

A fast-growing West Midlands digital training firm has secured a six-figure investment to launch what it claims will be the UK’s first AI Learning Lab, supporting regional upskilling and job creation.

The School of Coding, founded in Wolverhampton, has received backing from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF II), via fund manager Frontier Development Capital (FDC). The funding will be used to fit out its new central Birmingham tech hub, expected to create 50 new jobs within the next year.

Founded in 2017, the company delivers digital skills education to both young people and professionals, offering courses in cybersecurity, software development, AI, health tech, and digital entrepreneurship. It also runs nationwide coding classes for children and works with schools, councils, and education providers.

The new lab will act as a centre for innovation and learning, equipping individuals and businesses with practical skills to adopt AI technologies responsibly and effectively.

Photo Credit: School of Coding

Manny Athwal, founder and CEO of School of Coding, said:

“AI is here to stay, and we want to help people use it ethically and productively. This new hub in Birmingham will democratise access to digital education and support both personal and business growth in the tech economy. We see this as the first of many tech hubs across the UK.”

The company now operates in 17 countries, with offices in Telford, Dublin, and India, employing nearly 300 people worldwide, including 95 in the UK.

This latest investment builds on a previous round from MEIF in 2023, reinforcing the British Business Bank’s commitment to supporting scale-up businesses in tech and innovation.

David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:

“We’re proud to support a business that's actively addressing the digital skills gap and championing innovation. This second round of funding demonstrates MEIF II’s mission to back high-growth firms driving change.”

Ryan Cartwright, of Frontier Development Capital, added:

“Manny and his team are creating real impact through digital education. We’re excited to support the UK’s first AI Learning Lab – a step that will help more regional businesses benefit from emerging technologies.”

By Anushka Malhotra

23 Apr

An image of the outside of selfridges in birmingham from below looking up. You can see the iconic silver circles with the blue background of the building and the sky on a sunny day

Proudly Backed By Our Patrons