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.
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Bristol-based biotechnology company Scarlet Therapeutics has secured £3.2m in seed funding to advance its lab-grown red blood cell technology designed to work across all blood types.
The company’s breakthrough approach could help transform blood transfusions and support new treatments for serious diseases, with the investment funding further development, manufacturing and regulatory work.
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Bristol-headquartered Imperial Brands says it is on track to deliver £320m in annual savings by 2030, as growth in next-generation products such as vapes and heated tobacco continues to offset declines in traditional tobacco sales.
The company also announced a new partnership with Capgemini focused on digital transformation, data-led insights and AI capabilities to support future growth.
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Space technology company OHB Space UK is expanding its presence in the West of England after securing a £20m contract linked to the European Space Agency’s EnVision mission to Venus.
The project will see the company create more than 100 highly skilled engineering jobs and develop a new state-of-the-art facility at Aztec West, further strengthening the region’s growing space sector.
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South West-based energy supplier OVO Energy has agreed to be acquired by German energy giant E.ON, in a deal that will create one of the UK’s largest energy groups with around 10 million customers.
Founded in Bristol in 2009, OVO grew into one of the country’s leading challenger energy brands, with the acquisition marking a significant moment for the UK energy sector.
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Bristol-based biotech company EnsiliTech has made significant progress in developing a potential vaccine for hantavirus, a highly infectious disease with some strains carrying fatality rates of up to 40%.
The company’s work combines mRNA vaccine research with its patented technology designed to make vaccines easier to store and transport, particularly in regions with limited cold-chain infrastructure.
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