In the high-stakes world of life sciences, merely having a ground-breaking idea isn’t enough for success – it’s about having the right infrastructure from the get-go. Success demands more than concepts; it thrives on expert guidance, precision tools, and a winning narrative that captivates investors.

Enter Accelerator Programmes for start-ups – the launchpads for entrepreneurial dreams. At Pioneer Group, our Launch and Accelerator Programmes are invaluable support systems, providing the necessary momentum to propel remarkable innovations into the commercial sphere. With a comprehensive path tailored to de-risk ventures of all sizes, we ensure a seamless journey from lab innovation to thriving in the marketplace. Here’s how.

Accelerator Programmes for Start-ups: Providing Infrastructure Support at the Early Stages

Pioneer Group is passionate about supporting and investing in founders of cutting-edge life science technologies to grow visionary ventures that scale.

We understand how important it is that entrepreneurs have infrastructure support from the get-go. Our Accelerator Programmes for start-ups offer tailored training and workshops to help entrepreneurs and founders, who often come from a science rather than business background, to develop essential skills in areas such as business development, marketing, and financial management.

Nelli Morgulchik, Pioneer Group Accelerator Programme Coach, explains: “On the Accelerator, we see a paradigm shift occurring in how entrepreneurs are viewing their journey, how they are addressing problems, and recognising what the next step is.

“The programme is not just about us trying to teach entrepreneurs, but also the entrepreneurs involved in the programme actively learning from each other.”

Addressing Barriers to Commercialisation

Through comprehensive coaching, detailed workshops and investment advice drawn from years of propelling life sciences ventures, we know our Accelerator Programmes for start-ups deliver. Here’s what some recent entrepreneurs on the programme had to say:

Alan Hibbitts, LEP Biomedical, said: “We were at a point where we wanted to launch and to move from the lab to a business. To achieve that, we need to really identify who our customer is, if people need our product, and to get guidance and experience on entering the business world as well. It is great to be in a room with people who have the same experiences and motivations as yourself.”

Jacqui O’Connor, MedScan 3D, said: “We’ve already done the Pre Accelerator course, and that really opened our minds to think beyond our pre-existing boundaries, which was amazing. We pivoted slightly on our journey already, so I can only imagine in another eight weeks where we’re going to move and what we’re going to do. Straight away, I had a common ground with the other founders.”

Fiona McGillicuddy, MetHealth, said: “The founders of many MedTech businesses, like myself, come from a science background with no expertise in business. Accelerator Programmes for start-ups are critical to address that barrier to commercialisation.”

Launch Programme: Working in Collaboration with Innovate UK

Bringing our Launch Programme to Innovate UK’s ICURe programme means more opportunities for entrepreneurs to transform ideas into reality, from the lab space to the marketplace.

The Pioneer Group Launch Programme provides new entrepreneurs and spin-outs with access to tailored support and workshops to help de-risk the commercial and technical viability of their technologies and facilitate seed and series A investment, while the ICURe programme is designed to help researchers explore the commercial application and potential of UK research.

Lisa Thomas, Pioneer Group, said: “The Launch Programme is the foundation of how we work with start-ups and spin-outs. The 12-month programme helps new founders get to grips with their business plans. We’re thrilled to be delivery partners with Innovate UK, and bringing our Launch Programme to the ICURe cohort as well.”

Coming Together with Like-minded Entrepreneurs

Here’s what the latest group on the Launch Programme gained from the tailored approach that gives their businesses the best chance of success.

Winok Lapidair, VITA, said: “I did not know how many things I did not know about running a company before I joined, but the Launch Programme is really forcing me to think one, two steps or even three steps ahead.”

Kelechi Eseonu, TrueView Medical, said: “As a doctor, it’s been incredibly interesting to be able to learn a bit more about business and how the whole customer discovery process works. It’s been almost like a mini MBA – a lot of the skills that I suspect you would learn in something like business school are what I’ve gained over the last nine months on the Accelerator Programmes for start-ups.”

Poullette Odour, Klas Therapetutics, said: “1 to 1 coaching is the part of the programme that really excites me, and we have got access to investors giving us first-hand information on what they would want to be seeing in our business. There are so many things that we have learned on the programme, which we would have otherwise either had to pay for or learned through error.”

Rasha Rezk, ForCell, said: “Most of us have been through ICURe and are in the same stage or just a few years down the line from one another. So, it’s always good to ask other venture founders what their experiences are with X and Y, and about the different opportunities we have in the UK and beyond.”

Ciara Doran, Sans Anima, said: “Without ICURe, and without Launch, I think this would all just be a dream. We’d be talking about spinning out sometime in the future, but we wouldn’t know how to go about it or what to do. The programme has been amazing, and the level of support has been brilliant.”