Welcome to my weekly South West Tech News roundup, where you can get all the headlines from the past week in one place.

What has our busy tech and digital community been up to this week? From award wins and innovative breakthroughs to unmissable events and capital raised, take a moment to reflect on the hive of daily activity taking place in our region.

If you have a story to share, wizz it over to shona@techspark.co – I look forward to hearing from you!

Bristol startup collects urine from Bristol Pride to develop sustainable fertiliser

A startup based at UWE Bristol is collecting thousands of litres of urine from this year’s Bristol Pride to support the development of a sustainable nutrient-rich plant fertiliser.

NPK Recovery, which is based at UWE Bristol’s enterprise and innovation centre Future Space, plans to turn the waste product into a safe and highly sustainable fertiliser that will help to address some of the problems facing the agricultural sector, including rising costs and low yields from synthetic fertilisers.

NPK Recovery will collect approximately 2000 litres of urine from Bristol Pride, a music festival at The Downs in Bristol which celebrates the LGBT+ community. The company will collect the urine through the innovative urinals of PEEQUAL, designed for women and people who squat to use the toilet.  

Matter is excited to announce they have officially become B Corp certified in their 6th year of operating

Matter, Bristol-based pioneers in the micro-pollution filtration space, have today announced that it has been certified as a B Corporation™. The certification solidifies the business’ mission to create a positive impact and prevent microplastics from entering our natural environment.

The certification follows swiftly after the release of Matter’s 2023 Impact Report, in which Matter emphasised its commitment to B Corp standards. 

Matter, who develops technology to capture and recycle microplastics and microfibres for the good of our planet, has joined a global community of businesses leading the transformation of the global economic system. 

Team Bath Drones become best in the UK and Europe

Team Bath Drones have placed second in an international competition to design and build an unmanned flying vehicle. The student engineers earned the silver medal spot at the four-day-long IMechE UAS Challenge earlier this month, becoming the UK and Europe’s top-placed team.

Taking part in the contest for the first time in five years, Team Bath Drones faced strong competition from a total of 38 registered teams, 20 of which went on to fly at the finals event at BMFA Buckminster in Leicestershire. The event, being held for the 10th time, was the biggest to date and tested teams in flying simulated humanitarian missions.

£9m in funding for Somer Valley Enterprise Zone

Plans to create up to 1,300 jobs in the West of England took a step forward as the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Committee approved £9m of funding to deliver the Somer Valley Enterprise Zone. 

The site, located to the west of Midsomer Norton on the A362, will provide a sustainable and attracting location for new businesses and companies looking to scale up.   

Mayor Dan Norris welcomed the decision to invest, saying: “Bringing jobs and businesses into the West of England is a high priority. We need the highest quality infrastructure to attract investment to our region and this is what the Somer Valley Enterprise Zone will deliver.”

University of Bristol to play key role in new quantum hubs

The University of Bristol is set to play a major role in a series of new hubs being launched to ensure the UK fully benefits from the potential of quantum technologies in areas ranging from healthcare to national security. 

Applications include the transformation of early disease diagnosis, quantum cameras capable of detecting gas leaks, the creation of a ‘quantum internet’, and improved navigation and timing systems.

Five hubs are being delivered by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with a £106 million investment from EPSRC, the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, UKRI Medical Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research. 

Exacta Technologies Expands Stateside Following £1.8m NatWest Funding

Exacta Technologies, a Bristol-based leader in high-performance server technology, is set to expand into new markets following a £1.8 million from NatWest. The funding, comprising £1.5 million in working capital and growth financing, as well as £300,000 for refinancing, will enable the company to explore new markets and expand its operations to the USA.

Founded in 2001, the company specialise in bespoke technological solutions that provide sector-leading reliability and high-performance capability for its global clientele. Over the last two decades, the business has gone from strength to strength, by forming and nurturing long-term partnerships with a select group of clients, offering tailored and unique solutions for each.

Shona Wright

Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to. She also oversees TechSPARK's social media, sharing the latest updates on everything from investment news to green tech meetups and inspirational stories.

Bath Bristol