North East Tech News
Start-ups, scale-ups, spinouts, AI, space and the region’s growing digital economy.
TECHFastest 50Nine Software Is the Tech Standout in This Year’s Fastest 50The Newcastle firm ranked 11th with average growth of 45.92%, ahead of every other pure software business on Ward Hadaway’s list.
INNOVATIONPolicyFour North East Projects Share £23.7m to Turn Research Into BusinessMayor Kim McGuinness says the programme will unlock a further £55m of private investment and bring around 90 new products to market.
DEALSAdvanced materialsNewcastle University Spinout Dragonfly Advanced Materials Lands £1mThe aerogel maker has raised £500k from Northstar Ventures and a £500k Innovate UK grant as its Northumberland factory nears completion.
TECHHealth techHow Gnosis Health’s MAXine Is Using AI to Help People Living With Parkinson’sThe Newcastle University spinout’s app now has more than 1,000 users across England, giving clinicians a richer picture between appointments.
DEALSLife sciencesMagnitude Biosciences Secures £1.3m to Speed Up Drug DiscoveryThe Sedgefield-based Durham spinout uses tiny worms, AI and automated imaging to help pharma companies test treatments for ageing and neurodegenerative disease.
TECHTees ValleyFirst Firms Win Tees Valley Investment Zone Innovation VouchersThe £1.5m Teesside University-led scheme drew 155 expressions of interest, with Cognitive Health Tech and Surghive among the first to benefit.
TECHRoboticsTharsus Keeps Investing in Its Own Robotics Despite a Tougher YearThe Blyth group’s revenue fell to £18.6m after the end of its long-running Ocado work, but its VersaTile system has been trialled with a major grocer.
TECHSpaceLockheed Martin Signs Long-Term Research Agreement With Northumbria UniversityThe deal builds on a £15m commitment to the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre and covers optical communications, energy and space weather.
SPINOUTSAIDurham Spinout StratoBayes Launches With £280k to Bring AI Below GroundThe company uses AI and statistical modelling to help geologists predict what lies beneath the surface, from geothermal sites to carbon storage.
TECHData and AIProfessor Paul Watson to Step Down as Director of the National Innovation Centre for DataUnder his leadership, the Newcastle centre has delivered more than 180 collaborative projects helping organisations get value from their data.
SPINOUTSHealth techNewcastle and Dublin Spinout Enoda Launches Patient Mobility Data PlatformBuilt on the €50m Mobilise-D research project, Enoda measures how patients move in everyday life to improve clinical trials.
SPINOUTSFunding£22.5m Fund Launched to Turn North East University Research Into CompaniesThe North East Spinout Inspire Fund aims to back at least 30 spinouts in five years and has already invested in NunaBio, H2CHP and Gnosis Health.
TECHUniversitiesNewcastle University Launches Newcastle Innovations to Open Its Doors to BusinessThe new platform brings the university’s research, facilities, partnerships and spinout investment under one brand.
TECHInfrastructureNexus Completes £8.8m Digital Upgrade of the Metro Control RoomA new SCADA system lets engineers spot faults in power, lifts, lighting and tunnel pumps faster, before they affect passengers.
TECHTransportTeesside Study to Test Driverless Freight Between Teesport and the AirportProject TACTIC will spend six months assessing whether autonomous lorries could run inside Teesside Freeport, with customs checks done on the move.
ANALYSISAIOpenAI Pauses Data Centre Plans, Putting North East AI Growth Zone Project on HoldHigh energy costs and regulatory uncertainty were cited for the pause. OpenAI says it will proceed when conditions improve.
TECHSpaceLockheed Martin Commits More Than £100m to North East Space SectorThe package is headlined by a proposed £85m satellite manufacturing facility at NETPark and a technology centre in Newcastle.
TECHStart-upsXR Therapeutics and Literal Labs Fly the Flag on This Year’s Startups 100The two North East businesses placed 37th and 38th on the annual list of the UK’s most promising new companies.
DEALSAIDurham’s Feasibly Wins £200k From PraeSeed ProgrammeThe geospatial AI start-up helps engineers quickly assess whether sites are suitable for solar installations.
TECHSpaceFiltronic Wins £1.2m to Build Next-Generation Satellite AmplifierThe UK Space Agency-backed project will develop a 550W Ka-Band amplifier that slots straight into existing ground stations.
TECHSubseaSMD Opens £3m Tech Works Innovation Facility on the TyneThe subsea technology company has passed 300 staff and is targeting £150m of turnover by 2030.
TECHData centres£100m Neural Edge Data Centre Approved in StocktonLatos Data Centres’ facility at Preston Farm Industrial Estate is the UK’s first of its kind, with operations due to start in early 2027.
TECHAIBlyth and Cobalt Park Named as North East AI Growth ZoneThe government says the zone will unlock more than 5,000 jobs and £30bn of investment, including a Stargate UK site at Cobalt Park.
INNOVATIONPolicyFour North East Projects Share £23.7m to Turn Research Into BusinessMayor Kim McGuinness says the programme will unlock a further £55m of private investment and bring around 90 new products to market.DEALSAdvanced materialsNewcastle University Spinout Dragonfly Advanced Materials Lands £1mThe aerogel maker has raised £500k from Northstar Ventures and a £500k Innovate UK grant as its Northumberland factory nears completion.TECHHealth techHow Gnosis Health’s MAXine Is Using AI to Help People Living With Parkinson’sThe Newcastle University spinout’s app now has more than 1,000 users across England, giving clinicians a richer picture between appointments.DEALSLife sciencesMagnitude Biosciences Secures £1.3m to Speed Up Drug DiscoveryThe Sedgefield-based Durham spinout uses tiny worms, AI and automated imaging to help pharma companies test treatments for ageing and neurodegenerative disease.TECHTees ValleyFirst Firms Win Tees Valley Investment Zone Innovation VouchersThe £1.5m Teesside University-led scheme drew 155 expressions of interest, with Cognitive Health Tech and Surghive among the first to benefit.TECHRoboticsTharsus Keeps Investing in Its Own Robotics Despite a Tougher YearThe Blyth group’s revenue fell to £18.6m after the end of its long-running Ocado work, but its VersaTile system has been trialled with a major grocer.TECHSpaceLockheed Martin Signs Long-Term Research Agreement With Northumbria UniversityThe deal builds on a £15m commitment to the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre and covers optical communications, energy and space weather.SPINOUTSAIDurham Spinout StratoBayes Launches With £280k to Bring AI Below GroundThe company uses AI and statistical modelling to help geologists predict what lies beneath the surface, from geothermal sites to carbon storage.TECHData and AIProfessor Paul Watson to Step Down as Director of the National Innovation Centre for DataUnder his leadership, the Newcastle centre has delivered more than 180 collaborative projects helping organisations get value from their data.SPINOUTSHealth techNewcastle and Dublin Spinout Enoda Launches Patient Mobility Data PlatformBuilt on the €50m Mobilise-D research project, Enoda measures how patients move in everyday life to improve clinical trials.SPINOUTSFunding£22.5m Fund Launched to Turn North East University Research Into CompaniesThe North East Spinout Inspire Fund aims to back at least 30 spinouts in five years and has already invested in NunaBio, H2CHP and Gnosis Health.TECHUniversitiesNewcastle University Launches Newcastle Innovations to Open Its Doors to BusinessThe new platform brings the university’s research, facilities, partnerships and spinout investment under one brand.TECHInfrastructureNexus Completes £8.8m Digital Upgrade of the Metro Control RoomA new SCADA system lets engineers spot faults in power, lifts, lighting and tunnel pumps faster, before they affect passengers.TECHTransportTeesside Study to Test Driverless Freight Between Teesport and the AirportProject TACTIC will spend six months assessing whether autonomous lorries could run inside Teesside Freeport, with customs checks done on the move.ANALYSISAIOpenAI Pauses Data Centre Plans, Putting North East AI Growth Zone Project on HoldHigh energy costs and regulatory uncertainty were cited for the pause. OpenAI says it will proceed when conditions improve.TECHSpaceLockheed Martin Commits More Than £100m to North East Space SectorThe package is headlined by a proposed £85m satellite manufacturing facility at NETPark and a technology centre in Newcastle.TECHStart-upsXR Therapeutics and Literal Labs Fly the Flag on This Year’s Startups 100The two North East businesses placed 37th and 38th on the annual list of the UK’s most promising new companies.DEALSAIDurham’s Feasibly Wins £200k From PraeSeed ProgrammeThe geospatial AI start-up helps engineers quickly assess whether sites are suitable for solar installations.TECHSpaceFiltronic Wins £1.2m to Build Next-Generation Satellite AmplifierThe UK Space Agency-backed project will develop a 550W Ka-Band amplifier that slots straight into existing ground stations.TECHSubseaSMD Opens £3m Tech Works Innovation Facility on the TyneThe subsea technology company has passed 300 staff and is targeting £150m of turnover by 2030.TECHData centres£100m Neural Edge Data Centre Approved in StocktonLatos Data Centres’ facility at Preston Farm Industrial Estate is the UK’s first of its kind, with operations due to start in early 2027.TECHAIBlyth and Cobalt Park Named as North East AI Growth ZoneThe government says the zone will unlock more than 5,000 jobs and £30bn of investment, including a Stargate UK site at Cobalt Park.