Discovery Spark

Discovery Park

Information last verified: April 2026

Stage

Idea / pre-product, MVP / early product

Location

South East

Equity

No equity taken

Cost

Free

Delivery

In-person

HealthtechDeep techAny sector

Idea / pre-productMVP / early product

Free life science and technology accelerator run by Discovery Park (Sandwich, Kent), the former Pfizer global R&D campus, now a 180+ company science and innovation campus. Runs up to 3 cohorts per year, each lasting ~7 weeks: three 2-day in-person sessions at Discovery Park plus a final pitch day. Covers IP, startup legalities, branding, financial planning, ESG and regulatory compliance. Prize package worth £50k+ including free lab space at Discovery Park. Recent cohorts themed around oncology (with CRUK Cancer Tech Accelerator) and cardiovascular health (with Zinc VC, offering £250k investment). Open to early-stage life science and tech founders nationally, easily accessible from London via HS1 to Thanet Parkway.

Why this programme

Find customers / partnerships

Access to Discovery Park's 180+ resident companies as potential customers and pilot partners

Raise funding

Final pitch day to investors and industry leaders; prize package worth £50k+ incl. free lab space; recent cohorts offered £250k investment from Zinc VC

Build product / validate MVP

Access to Discovery Park labs, specialist equipment and 160+ company campus community including global pharma and biotech tenants

Access to mentors / operators

Expert-led sessions plus connections to clinical teams, Cancer Research UK, NHS and University of Kent research network

Community / workspace / ecosystem

Base yourself in Kent's leading science campus, the former Pfizer global R&D site, with access to CoLab shared labs and Barclays Eagle Labs on-site

Interested in Discovery Spark?

Head to their website for current cohort dates and how to apply.

Visit Discovery Spark → ← Back

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