News & updates
From the community.
Portfolio milestones, ecosystem updates, fundraising guides, and stories from Norwich's startup scene. Written by the people building it.
Portfolio milestones, ecosystem updates, fundraising guides, and stories from Norwich's startup scene. Written by the people building it.
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Akcela portfolio company Moss Monkey Games has successfully closed its SEIS round — another funding milestone for Norwich's indie gaming sector and proof that structured incubation works.
The Future Tech Programme has been renewed for 2025–26, with continued backing from Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, and Connected Innovation. Here's what it offers and who it's for.
A practical guide to the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme — what it is, how it works, and why it matters for early-stage founders raising their first round in the UK.
A look ahead at what Akcela has planned for 2025 — new portfolio companies, the Future Tech Programme renewal, the Akcela Startup Funding Portal, and a growing Norwich startup community.
A draft manifesto for Norwich business leaders, crowdsourced from 150 people in the start-up community.
We asked the Norwich start-up community to vote on 16 initiatives. Here's where they think time, money and resources should go.
A state-of-the-nation look at the Norwich start-up scene. What's holding us back, and what's driving us forward?
A practical guide to British Business Bank Start Up Loans — how they work, what you can borrow, and why they're one of the smartest ways to fund the earliest stage of building a company.
Akcela portfolio company CleverGoose has launched a new website — a significant milestone that signals product maturity and market readiness for this Norwich-based SaaS startup.
Akcela receives £110,000 from the Norfolk/Suffolk Ecosystem Partnership Programme — here's what it funds, why ecosystem investment matters, and what it means for founders in the region.
An introduction to the team behind Norwich's startup incubator — the founders, operators, and company builders working alongside Norfolk's next generation of tech entrepreneurs.
CleverGoose has signed an incubation agreement with Akcela Ventures — here's what they're building, why they joined, and what the equity-for-services model means for founders.
Toby Bennett joins the Akcela team, strengthening the incubator's capacity to support Norwich's growing startup community as demand for hands-on incubation continues to increase.
Akcela portfolio company Glowfrog Games has won an Innovate UK award — here's what Innovate UK is, how the process works, and why this matters for Norwich's indie gaming community.
Peter Ballard — co-founder of Foolproof, angel investor, and experienced company builder — joins Akcela as a Partner, bringing nearly two decades of building and scaling from Norwich.
Akcela portfolio company Glowfrog Games has closed its SEIS investment round, raising £100,000 to fund development. Here's how they got there and what it means for Norwich's gaming sector.
GoDesk has signed an incubation agreement with Akcela Ventures — here's what that means, what they're building, and how the incubation programme works.
The Akcela community showed up at Sync the City — Norwich's flagship startup event. Here's what happened, why startup events matter, and how they feed the local ecosystem.
Akcela has been announced as a Tech East Norfolk residency partner — here's what Tech East does, why regional visibility matters, and what this means for portfolio companies.
Ashtons Legal has been with Akcela since day one — here's why legal structure matters from the start and what portfolio companies get through the partnership.
A plain-English guide to what a business incubator actually does, how it differs from an accelerator or co-working space, and whether joining one is right for your startup.
ReadingMate becomes the first company to graduate from the Akcela incubator — here's what graduation means, the journey from entry to independence, and why this matters for Norwich's ecosystem.
Akcela has been recognised as a Vodafone Business Champion for supporting tech-enabled startups across East England — here's what the award means and why national recognition matters for regional ecosystems.
Tom Wood — co-founder of Foolproof and experienced company builder — joins Akcela as a Partner, bringing deep expertise in team building, culture, and scaling from Norwich.
How the Anglia Capital Group funding meetings work, what it takes for a startup to pitch successfully, and why Norwich's angel investment pipeline is stronger than most founders realise.
Akcela formalises its partnership with SyncNorwich — the 1,800+ member tech community that runs Sync the City and keeps Norwich's startup scene connected.
Akcela is technology-agnostic — we back founders, not technologies. Here's how we approach emerging tech like AI, blockchain, and machine learning, and why the fundamentals never change.
UEA's Norwich Business School MBA students will work on consultancy projects with Akcela portfolio companies — here's how it works and why connecting universities with startups matters.
Akcela has been listed in the Future 50 — Norfolk and Suffolk's index of the region's fastest-growing and most innovative businesses. Here's what it means and why it matters.
The new year brought new companies to the Akcela incubator — here's how the portfolio grew, what the first months of 2022 looked like, and what structured incubation means for Norwich's founders.
A look back at Akcela's founding year — from launching Norwich's first city-centre startup incubator to welcoming our first portfolio companies and laying the foundations for what came next.
Akcela was featured on BBC Radio Norfolk, discussing why Norwich needs a startup incubator and how business incubation supports local founders who might not know the option exists.
Whether you're at the idea stage or ready to raise, we'd like to hear from you. No pitch deck required.