The Bristol tech scene is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Bristol. Amongst the uninitiated, Bristol is often regarded as an arts and creativity hub rather than a tech one. Those who know better recognise Bristol as the centre of excellence for electronic systems design and technology. Quite rightfully, Bristol has leapt to the attention of renowned global technology corporation, Oracle as they look to extend their Startup Cloud Accelerator Program.
Anyone who knows Bristol is already familiar with the burgeoning start-up scene. Partially in thanks to the highly regarded Universities of Bristol and Bath whose award-winning Startup accelerator ‘SetSquared’ has worked tirelessly to put the South West on the map. Since their inception, SetSquared have generated over £1bn in start-up funding. They have further plans to add £15bn to the UK economy by 2025.
Amongst SetSquared’s most exciting graduates are Ultrahaptics. Their cutting edge technology uses ultrasound to project sensations onto the hand.
With such an illustrious tech pedigree, Bristol has not escaped the attention of Silicon Valley big hitters Oracle. As of late 2017, Bristol will be part of Oracle’s Startup Cloud Accelerator and will sit alongside it’s more notorious peers in the program: Tel Aviv, Paris, Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore and São Paulo.
Partnering with Bristol’s hub of innovation, the Engine Shed, as well as the aforementioned SetSquared, the program of expansion will be led by serial entrepreneur Reggie Bradford. He is Oracle’s Senior Vice President of Product Development and states;
“The next five to ten years promise innovations and growth that will drive new business ideas enabled by the cloud….Oracle understands that startups are at the heart of innovation, and through this program, we aim to give startups access to extensive resources and support when they need it most.”
Over the next few weeks we are going to be producing a range of articles on the Bristol tech scene. Prepare yourself for the next “Silicon” to truly take shape – the “Silicon Gorge!”
This is the first part of our Silicon Gorge series.:
Part 2: Silicon Gorge: a Great Place for Digital Employers
Part 3: Bristol Start Ups Never Had It So Good
Part 4: Bristol Tech Companies Recruiting Now
Part 6: Silicon Gorge – We Byte!
