Tech news roundup: 23.05.25 – techSPARK

Welcome to our 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 will@techspark.co – I look forward to hearing from you!

Last week, Cardiff-based Space Forge announced they have secured a record-breaking £22.6M Series A funding round. It’s the largest Series A in UK space tech history.

Led by the NATO Innovation Fund, this round included support from the World Fund, British Business Bank and NSSIF. They also received further backing from investors like Gaingels, Unruly and Cardiff Capital Region.

The space-focused pioneers specialise in advanced materials manufacturing and return technology, and they are on a mission to make space a manufacturing frontier. They use conditions like microgravity and extreme temperatures to create materials that can’t be made on Earth.

Read the full story here

First published on 14th May 2025 | Space Forge 

The National Grid Electricity Distribution (HGED) has joined forces with a local South West charity Your Park Bristol & Bath to create a new sensory garden at Hartcliffe Millennium Green in Bristol.

The garden is designed to provide a calming and inclusive space for individuals with disabilities and their carers. Both HGED and Your Park Bristol and Bath hope the space can enhance accessibility and wellbeing through contact with nature.

The newly-open garden uses a variety of elements to stimulate all the senses using carefully selected plants.

Read the full story here

First published Business Mole on Tuesday 20th May by Jeff Newmond 

Earlier this week, Bristol-based data and AI consultancy Data3 released their inaugural report on the state of UK SMEs in 2025. The report focuses on AI Readiness and Data Maturity.

The AI Readiness section allows you to see how prepared your business is to leverage AI safely, securely and compliantly – rated across 6 dimensions.

The Data Maturity section enables you to see how ready your business is to leverage data – rated across 6 dimensions.

Want to know how your business compares to other SMEs and work out if you’re behind or ahead of the pack?

Email hello@data-cubed.co.uk for a copy of the report.

Got a tech or cyber idea that won’t leave you alone? CyNam has a brilliant opportunity to help you explore it.

From 2–6 June, they’re running a fully funded five-day bootcamp at the University of Gloucestershire’s Future Park Campus. The bootcamp is designed to help early-stage founders turn ideas into action.

There are just 20 free places available. If selected, you’ll get access to expert-led workshops, mentoring, startup support and a network of early-stage tech and cyber investors.

You’ll also receive free accommodation and meals for the duration of the bootcamp.

Apply now for your free place: https://lnkd.in/eG-AQZ9P

Last month, we held our Quarterly Investment Briefing (QiB) at the S&W offices in Portwall Place. The event spotlighted the region’s Q1 equity investment landscape and featured lightning talks from Ed Tellwright (British Business Bank), Olly Cox (Foresight Group), Peter Stirling (STL Tech) and Steven Bennington (Q5D).

techSPARK CEO Ben Shorrock opened the event with a reflection on the South West’s investment landscape in Q1 2025. He spotlighted the sectors attracting the most investment (by number of companies), outlined which stages those companies are raising at and revealed the top funders, both by volume of deals and total value raised.

The lightning talks brought fresh insights from across the investment ecosystem, with perspectives from both funders and founders. Together, they highlighted a well-rounded picture of the challenges and opportunities shaping 2025.

Read a full write up of the Quarterly Investment Briefing (QiB)