We understand that entrepreneurs often have the determination, drive, endless energy and commitment to turn a great idea into reality. But revolutionising an industry, pioneering medical technologies and transforming healthcare takes more than just a great idea and a can-do attitude – that’s where Pioneer Group can step in and offer crucial life sciences business support to entrepreneurs across our locations.

Life Sciences Business Support at Pioneer Group

Pioneer Group is an experienced business incubator, supporting the growth of ambitious life-science companies. In addition to our Accelerator Programme, we offer a free Life Sciences Scale-Up Programme, which equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to overcome challenges in achieving rapid business growth, through a combination of peer support, events and focused workshops.

The Scale-Up Programme in Action

When the pandemic hit, Claire Thompson, CEO of Agility Life Sciences, faced a major challenge. Demand for her company’s service was skyrocketing. But to meet that demand, the company had to scale – and quickly. To achieve this, Claire turned to Pioneer Group for life science business support and joined our Scale-Up Programme.

The programme empowered Claire to discover her route to achieving rapid business growth for Agility Life Sciences.

She explains: “Agility Life Sciences is an award-winning CDMO. We work with small biotechs to turn their badly behaved molecules into products that can go into preclinical studies and then be fast-tracked into clinic and onto the market. Our job is to figure out how we’re going to turn a molecule into something that can be given to patients. It’s great fun – we’re always problem-solving and having to think creatively. We start with an end in mind and try and work out the best, most efficient way of getting there.

“A key reason why we got involved in the Pioneer Group Scale-Up Programme was because we started off our formulation development lab mid-pandemic, but there was a massive demand for the sort of services we have, so it became clear early on that we were going to have to scale fast.

“A highlight of the Programme is the people who are involved in it; not just the people that are there as delegates for the programme, who have all been fantastic, but also the mentors and teachers brought in to teach us about various different business aspects.

“I’ve been able to be open about what we’re struggling with, and I think the openness and authenticity of people on the programme to talk about what’s going great and what’s not going so great has been fantastic. We’re about six months into the programme now – and I really don’t want it to end!”

Swapping Stories with Like-Minded Businesses

Micropore Technologies was spun out of the internationally respected Loughborough University Chemical Engineering Department, with its patented technology invented by Professor Richard Holdich, former Head of the Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University.

Having worked for 15 years developing its technologies, the business was ready to take the next step towards achieving its growth ambitions and took advantage of the life sciences business support offered by Pioneer Group.

Denis Smit, commercial director at Micropore Technologies, said: “Micropore Technologies got involved in the training offered at BioCity Nottingham for a number of reasons, principally because the programme is targeted specifically at companies who want to grow and scale. We’re currently less than 20 people strong, and I can see us becoming 30 or 40 people in the future.

“When you’re a small company you can feel isolated, so it’s just nice to meet other companies in the same position and to be able to exchange stories and advice with one another.”

You can hear more testimonials from businesses who have graduated from Pioneer Group’s life sciences business support programmes here.

Join our Scale-Up Programme

As well as focused workshops and events, businesses on our Scale-Up Programme have access to peer-to-peer and expert support. Our experienced leaders have mentored a vast array of businesses in their growth ambitions, utilising industry connections and life sciences expertise.