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!
Ferrocalm Partners With Debenhams To Boost Gut Health Awareness
Exciting growth from Ferrocalm, the University of Bristol spin-out behind an evidence-based probiotic designed to support gut health during IBS flare-ups. The startup has just launched on Debenhams Online, marking a major retail milestone for the science-led brand.
Developed with gut health experts and grounded in clinical research, Ferrocalm is on a mission to make credible, accessible gut-health support more mainstream. It’s a powerful example of academic innovation making its way to real-world impact.
Bath Rugby Levels Up Recovery With Cutting-Edge Tech
Bath Rugby has become the first professional club to integrate MBST cell regeneration devices into its player recovery programme. It’s a serious step forward in the club’s commitment to health, performance and long-term wellbeing.
The MBST tech, now installed at Farleigh House, uses non-invasive magnetic resonance to stimulate cellular repair and support faster healing. Already used worldwide to treat joint, bone and soft-tissue injuries, it’s designed to reduce inflammation and boost resilience at a cellular level.
SAH Diagnostics To Open Cancer Diagnostics Centre In The South West
Bristol-based SAH Diagnostics is set to open its first high-capacity cancer diagnostics centre in the region, aiming to dramatically speed up access to life-saving tests for NHS patients.
Developed at UWE Bristol’s Future Space, the medtech firm has already treated more than 300,000 patients across 21 NHS trusts since launching in 2021. Now, it’s scaling up with a permanent base in the South West.
Guest Blog: How Start-ups Can Actually Attract The Best Talent
As part of People Month at techSPARK, we’re handing the mic to Guy Allen, Founder and Managing Director at Futura Talent, to share his expert take on what it really takes to hire well in the early stages of a company.
In this practical guest feature, Guy explores the foundations of a strong hiring strategy. He explains how to define your hiring needs, understand where your early hires are likely to come from and build a clear plan for who and what you’re hiring.
Read the full story
BTF+: A Review & Next Steps For The Festival
After the energy of BTF+, the techSPARK team took a moment to reflect in a workshop led by Paul Kelly from The Pandek Group. We celebrated the wins, explored feedback and started shaping ideas for 2026.
Ben Webb has shared a short write-up highlighting this year’s standout moments, including a world-first launch with Pocket Talks, brilliant community-led events and what we’re improving for next year.
Read the full write up