Barclays is to open its first Bristol-based Eagle Lab at Engine Shed before the end of the year.
The hub next to Temple Meads station will be Eagle Labs’ 34th location in the UK and provide startups and entrepreneurs with access to business expertise, banking services and mentoring and coaching from scale-up specialists.
It will also offer its members the opportunity to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, local organisations, universities, industry bodies and potential clients and investors across the country, to help them build their networks and grow.
The Eagle Labs team will also host a year-round events programme dedicated to promoting collaboration and innovation in the community.
Barclays says its Eagle Labs network has supported more than 12,000 business ecosystems since 2015.
Engine Shed is the University of Bristol’s leading innovation hub in Bristol. It offers office, meeting and event spaces, alongside membership and its own training to drive innovation in the region.
Barclays Eagle Labs will join SETsquared Bristol, the University’s tech incubator at Engine Shed, to enhance support to a broader range of businesses.
Matt Corbidge, director of Barclays Eagle Labs, said: “We’re really excited to announce our new partnership and bring the first Barclays Eagle Lab to Bristol. We’ll bring our Eagle Labs philosophy, helping to provide startups and scaleups a home and fostering the connections to help them grow.”
Mike Paton, director of Engine Shed, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Barclays Eagle Labs to support accelerating innovation and sustainable growth of the regional economy.
“Funded by UK government, Eagle Labs offer a wide range of support for entrepreneurs that complements our existing portfolio of services, and we see this as a win-win for founders, start-ups and scale-ups in the region.”
Ben Shorrock, Managing Director at techSPARK, added: “This new Barclays Eagle Lab shows that Bristol and Bath’s start-up community continues to go from strength to strength.
“We’re delighted that we can make this announcement during Bristol Tech Festival 2023, creating a fantastic opportunity to connect Barclays to our thriving ecosystem.”