Digital Catapult > Innovation Services

Innovation Services

Scale faster. Reduce risk. Protect your investment.

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Scaling breakthrough companies isn’t easy

Digital Catapult’s Innovation Services help high potential businesses make confident commercial, technical, and strategic decisions at every stage of growth. Through expert-led modules spanning Commercialisation, Artificial Intelligence, Design, Founder Growth and Software Engineering, we help businesses reduce uncertainty, accelerate progress, and build stronger foundations for scaling a business.

Innovation Services is a portfolio of structured, expert-led engagements designed to help innovative businesses overcome critical growth challenges. Whether you are validating a market opportunity, developing an AI strategy, refining a product experience, strengthening founder capability, or making key technical decisions, our services provide practical support grounded in real-world expertise.

Each module delivers clear outputs, actionable recommendations, and a defined pathway forward, enabling organisations to make investment decisions with greater confidence and move more effectively from innovation to commercial impact.

Our work with Digital Catapult has been hugely helpful in defining the steps we need to move our business capability forward. Their expertise and technical skills helped us address missing knowledge gaps, articulate our needs and accelerated our time to market. We can now clearly see where we need to invest our time and resources. Richard Hinkley Co-Founder, Repped Music

Explore our service areas

Commercialisation Services

Build the commercial foundations required to take innovative products and services to market, from ecosystem and market intelligence through to market entry strategy and pricing.

Artificial Intelligence Support

Identify, assess, design, and govern AI solutions with confidence. Our AI services help organisations prioritise opportunities, de-risk investment, and scale responsibly.

Design Support

Create user-centred products and services through research, co-design, and visualisation activities that improve usability, adoption, and market readiness.

NEW: Founder Growth

Support for founders seeking greater strategic clarity, stronger leadership capability, and improved execution discipline. Founder Growth helps translate ambition into measurable business progress through structured coaching and challenge.

NEW: Software Engineering

Expert support for organisations making critical technical decisions, from early feasibility assessment and proof of concept development through to architecture planning and technology selection.

Explore the full range of Innovation Services to begin your journey with Digital Catapult

Download the catalogue

A proven framework for scaling

Digital Catapult’s TRL-CRL framework provides SMEs with a clear roadmap to build the right tech for the right market at the right time.

Aligning technical progress with commercial readiness helps de-risk innovation, streamline resource use, and fast track market success.

Each module is aligned to a stage of commercial or technology readiness so businesses scale at the right speed, in the right direction.

Our methodology, your path to growth.

Innovation Services TRL CRL Framework 26-27 (v1)

Why work with Digital Catapult?

Proven

Expertise in deep tech, AI, advanced connectivity, and immersive technologies

2832

Active company engagements since 2019

Recognised as a trusted innovation partner by leading VCs and growth funds

272

Companies helped to raise over £572 million in follow-on investment since 2018

7200

Hours of hands-on support to high-growth companies since the launch of this offering, over 2000 hours since May of this year alone

Assess your commercial and technological readiness

Is your business ready to scale? Pinpoint your current stage of technology and commercial readiness, and discover practical steps to move forward by taking our online assessment —whether refining your product, engaging new partners, or scaling up, this assessment will provide a starting point for your growth journey.

Take the assessment

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Funding and eligibility

Companies participating in the Innovate UK Business Growth programme may be able to access support through the Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) grant. If you are currently working with an Innovation and Growth Specialist, speak to your advisor about eligibility and funding options before applying.¹

For companies not currently receiving support through the Innovate UK Business Growth programme, each Innovation Services module is available directly from Digital Catapult at a cost of £15,000 per module.

¹ Subject to Innovate UK Business Growth eligibility criteria and available funding.

FAQs for Investors

Who should use Digital Catapult’s Innovation Services?

Startups looking to validate opportunities, strengthen strategy, and reduce technical or commercial risk.
Scaleups preparing for growth, investment, product expansion, or market entry.
Founders seeking structured support to improve strategic decision-making and execution.
Technical teams requiring independent expertise on architecture, feasibility, tooling, and technology choices.
Investors looking to accelerate portfolio company performance and de-risk growth plans.

Why are these services relevant to venture capitalists?

They accelerate time-to-market, reduce execution risk, and protect your investment.

Venture Capitalists value these services because it:

Accelerates portfolio company commercial traction and revenue.
De-risks investments by aligning technical innovation with market realities.
Helps ensure that new funding rounds translate into scalable, profitable growth.
Enables VCs to set clear commercial targets as part of the investment process.

Which scaleups benefit most?

Companies with strong technology but weaker commercialisation plans especially pre-Series A and Series B.

At which stage of investment are these services most relevant?

Seed through Series B, when go-to-market clarity drives valuation.

What action should I take?

Make completion of one or more modules a condition of investment.

If you are interested in finding out more about the service or you would like a presentation to your portfolio, please contact [email protected]

Digital Catapult is a deep tech innovation organisation driving business value by accelerating the application of advanced technologies.

Our ambition is to realise the practical application of deep tech through three interventions