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!
New Investment Grows In The South West
Start-up investment in the South West has grown this quarter, up nearly a third according to KPMG’s latest Venture Pulse report. Between April and June 2025, the region secured £37.9M in VC funding, significantly outpacing the £29.3M raised in Q1.
This 29% rise comes despite a national slowdown and included 21 completed investments, up from 15 in the previous quarter. The figures are a strong vote of confidence in the strength and depth of the South West’s innovation pipeline.
Among the standout stories was Portishead-based Q5D raising £10.1M to turbocharge its robotics, which are redefining how major manufacturers handle wiring.
University of Bristol Plans To Go Global
The University of Bristol has announced its first ever international campus, set to open in Mumbai by summer 2026. This marks a major expansion of the city’s innovation influence on a global scale.
The news follows the launch of Isambard-AI, the UK’s fastest supercomputer, also hosted by the university. It’s been a standout month for Bristol’s R&D credentials.
With the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus already transforming the local tech landscape, this new international move adds weight to Bristol’s ambition to be a global innovation capital.
Cardiff Rocket Labs Launch To Victory
Cardiff Rocket Labs recently won the Best Hybrid Rocket Engine award at the 2025 Race 2 Space symposium. Their first full engine build, Bowser, brought home the trophy.
Designed by Oscar Mabon, Yusif Al-Gurair and Joel Cartwright, the Bowser engine wowed the judges with three hot-fire tests that hit 607N of peak thrust. Impressive for a team founded just last October.
Boomsatsuma’s Creative Summer School
Boomsatsuma has launched a brilliant series of hands-on summer courses for Bristol teens aged 11–16. Held across iconic creative venues like the Tobacco Factory and Leadworks, the sessions go way beyond the average holiday club.
From game level design and studio photography to sculpting characters for 3D printing, these courses offer a rare chance to access industry-grade tools and guidance before students even hit college.
Each programme is designed to help young people explore their creativity, build practical skills and gain confidence using professional tools. It’s all about making the creative future more accessible, starting now.
DeskLodge Unveils New Rebrand
Bristol-grown co-working pioneers DeskLodge have revealed their fresh new look this week, celebrating a visual identity that reflects how far they’ve come and where they’re headed.
Described as “bigger, bolder, and more brilliant”, the rebrand will roll out across their online presence and physical locations.
It’s not just a style change. It’s a signal that DeskLodge is growing in confidence, ambition and community spirit.