UK partnership supports biotech start-ups through national accelerator

MDC and the Crick team up to expand support for early-stage data-driven health ventures

A new partnership between the Francis Crick Institute and Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) will help extend the reach of KQ Labs, a flagship accelerator programme for early-stage, data-focused health companies.

Hosted by the Crick in London’s Knowledge Quarter, KQ Labs runs a five-month programme for up to ten start-ups each year, helping them turn cutting-edge biomedical and data science innovations into scalable businesses. The initiative has already supported 70 ventures across the UK, raising over £219 million in follow-on investment to date.

With MDC now on board, KQ Labs will benefit from additional funding and expertise -- especially in drug discovery and translational science - and a strengthened connection to national networks of life science innovators, funders, and commercial partners.

Professor Chris Molloy, CEO of MDC, described the collaboration as a way to help promising biotechs become ‘Fit to Fund’ and more investor-ready, while Dr Nicola Heron, MDC’s Chief Strategy Officer, highlighted the power of AI, machine learning and computational tools in reshaping drug discovery.

The announcement coincides with the 2025 KQ Labs Demo Day, where this year’s cohort of start-ups pitch their innovations to an audience of investors and industry leaders. Applications for the next intake open on 1 July 2025.

Dr Barbara Domayne-Hayman, KQ Labs Chair, called the MDC partnership ‘a strong foundation’ to help more early-stage companies scale, while Dr Stephen Mayhew of the Crick noted its role in broadening biomedical innovation across the UK.

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