Founders. You've found us.

Norwich's Only Business Incubator

Our team can make the difference in bringing success to early-stage companies. We give your business a home for up to two years. Get help with foundational stuff like planning and legals, then move on to find your market and grow to scale.

Supporting start-up and scale-up founders achieve their goals

Experienced support

Every business must take its own journey, but our incubator team have a stellar background as founders and entrepreneurs. Anything your business needs to do - planning, hiring, raising investment or scaling profitably – you can get hands-on help from people who have done it themselves in their own businesses. We invest between £50,000 to £100,000 of our time into each incubated company.

A founder-supported community

Get into a workspace with other founders and start-up teams. Become part of a supportive community where people take time to share ideas and offer their help.

Space to call home

The incubator gives you desk space and a first-class working environment for up to two years. Our building is buzzing with nice, clever people will help and inspire you every day. Each incubated company receives up to £17,000 of rent-free space in our community.

Sponsors who are here to help

We picked sponsors who are happy to contribute to our community without pushing their paid services. This gives you useful connections to experts in legal, accounting, HR, PR and investment finance.

Incubated companies receive up to £117,000 of benefits

We support with time, space and access to professional services worth up to £117,000, where companies are incubated for two years. A perfect start to turn your business idea, into the next thriving scaleup in the East of England.

Apply Now

What Founders Have Said

The biggest compliment, is that through their hardwork, great ideas and genuine love and enthusiasm for our project, I now can’t ever imagine a time when they weren’t involved!

James Rix

Co-Founder, Readingmate

Let's see how we can work together.

Application Process

We start by understanding the fundamentals of your business and where you are today. This is usually a one or two hour session to get to know you, your team, and your aspirations.

If there’s interest on both sides, we spend two weeks working through a process of discovery. We’ll work on operational and financial models, discuss the market and customers you want to reach, think about immediate priorities for your business and start to map out a path to growth and success.

If we all feel there is a good fit, we will make an offer of incubatio

Companies We Work With

A great incubation space brings together exciting businesses to share experiences, challenges and wins. Creating the path to reaching your full potential.

Tech Educators

Forbes listed "Best Bootcamp" for blockchain technology and Norfolks only in person coding bootcamp.

Readingmate

Developing the lifelong love of reading through a unique data driven platform and app.

Gorilla Juice

Vegan protein that doesn't taste like sh*t and isn't full of it.

The Forest of Memories

Bringing digital profiles to real world spaces, remembering those we have loved and lost.

Pinball Bazaar

Unique fully licensed merchandise from the world of pinball.

What Founders Have Said

Joining the Akcela incubator program has offered invaluable support and extremely knowledgeable consultancy, helping to steer the business to investment and beyond.

James Young

COO, The Forest of Memories

Partners and sponsors

Our partners are committed to adding value to our incubator companies. We are grateful for the experience and advice they bring.

Are you interested in becoming a partner or sponsor? Book a chat to talk it through.