University of Manchester opens second deep tech accelerator with £25,000 funding

Unit M will select 7–10 Greater Manchester research and early-stage teams for six months of funding, commercialization support and investor preparation

The University of Manchester’s Unit M has opened applications for the second cohort of its Greater Manchester Deep Tech Accelerator

England’s University of Manchester’s innovation unit, Unit M, has opened applications for the second cohort of its Greater Manchester deep tech accelerator, offering selected teams £25,000 in equity-free funding alongside six months of commercialization support.

Between seven and 10 ventures will join the program, which runs from November 2026 to April 2027. It is open to researchers, university spinouts and technical founders across Greater Manchester developing technologies based on scientific discoveries or engineering advances.

Backed by Greater Manchester Investment Zone funding, the accelerator is aimed at teams moving from research and early technical development toward an investment-ready business. Applicants must be based in Greater Manchester and ready to spend six months working toward investment.

Researchers can apply with work that has commercial potential but has not yet been commercialized, while technical founders are expected to have a working prototype or some early validation.

£25,000 funding and commercialization support

Alongside the £25,000 in equity-free funding, selected ventures will receive commercial support, access to specialist mentors and industry experts, and guidance on customer discovery and market validation.

The program also includes investor pitch training and support from experienced University of Manchester MBA students. Teams will have the opportunity to present their businesses to investors and strategic partners at a dedicated demo day.

Areas covered include advanced materials and manufacturing, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure, biotechnology and health technologies, climate and energy technologies, robotics and automation, and space and aerospace technologies.

The second cohort follows an initial program earlier in 2026 involving 10 ventures from the University of Manchester and the wider region. Those companies were working across areas including health technology, clean energy, advanced materials, agritech and space technology.

Tim Bailey, Founder and CEO of WarmTronics, says the funding enabled the business to undertake customer discovery and marketing work it would otherwise have struggled to finance:

“The accelerator helped us move forward in our commercialisation journey. Funding allowed us to do marketing and customer discovery that we initially wouldn't be able to afford. Off the back of that, we did an exhibition in London, we met with a major supermarket chain and we're now looking at trialling our products with them.”

Patrick Sarsfield, Founder and CEO of Graphene Thermal, also credits the program with helping prepare the company for investment:

“The Unit M deep tech accelerator is what we needed to prepare ourselves to be investment ready. All of the mentorship and guidance that we’ve had has come through the university support system. It’s really been at the centre of getting this business off the ground.”

Second cohort expands across Greater Manchester

Unit M says the new cohort will place greater emphasis on recruiting teams from across the wider city-region, including researchers, founders and spinouts from universities across Greater Manchester as well as technical founders from the region’s broader deep tech community.

The accelerator is supported through Greater Manchester Combined Authority Investment Zone funding and is designed to connect early-stage technical teams with commercial expertise, mentors, investors and industry networks.

Prospective applicants can attend information sessions on September 29 and October 12. Unit M will also have a stand at the Powerhouse of Innovation Showcase on October 7 during the Innovation Festival.

Applications for the second cohort close on October 19, 2026.