The four-month hybrid Scaleup Programme from Barclays Eagle Labs and Plexal, which is designed for high-growth UK tech companies tackling the challenges of scaling, is now accepting applications for its fourth edition.
Through Scaleup Programme, we’ll unpack and overcome obstacles to help your business reach the next level across expert-led workshops, one-to-one support, peer learning and tailored connections with corporates, customers and ecosystem leaders.
Built around real-life challenges faced by fast-growth founders, Scaleup Programme is geared towards digital tech businesses pushing the boundaries of areas such as AI and healthtech and will cover four key scaling pillars, including:
(1) Leadership, people and operational foundations
(2) Scaling commercial performance
(3) Customer value, retention and expansion
(4) Funding Strategy and capital planning
And for eight standout companies that demonstrate potential, progress and engagement, there’s also the chance to benefit from Scaleup Elevate – an exclusive two-month support extension.
Having participated in our third edition of Scaleup Programme, here’s what these alumni members have to say about their experiences to help inform your decision to apply.
Tom Birbeck, CEO and Founder, ARC marine, which designs nature-inclusive infrastructure to protect marine environments and boost biodiversity.
“Scaleup Programme gave me the opportunity to focus on what ARC marine needed to scale and to ensure our foundations in mission and vision were aligned. Having spent ten years developing the technology and finding product market fit, recalibration of the team and our offering were essential. A key benefit of the Scaleup Programme was the network itself and I’ve made valuable connections with experts through the programme and plan to continue working with them as the business grows.”
Eric DeGolier, CEO and Founder, Body Rocket, which delivers real-time aerodynamic and performance data to cyclists and triathletes directly from the bike.
“The Scaleup Programme has been a really valuable experience for our business. Even as a scaling company, taking the time to refocus and re-evaluate our go-to-market approach as we grow has been invaluable. Sessions like the GTM workshop were highly practical and directly relevant to the challenges we’re tackling right now.
“It’s been a great opportunity overall and I’ve especially appreciated how dedicated the teams at Plexal and Barclays have been in supporting us throughout. The connections and conversations have been a key highlight, bringing valuable perspectives and opening the door to potential collaborations.
“Overall, the Scaleup Programme has helped me sharpen our strategy and clarify our next phase, particularly as we prepare to raise further funding.”
Achille Traore, CEO, White Label Loyalty, which powers behaviour-driven customer engagement with scalable, API-first loyalty tech.
“The Barclays Scaleup Programme, delivered in partnership with Plexal, has been a highly valuable experience. It provided access to senior stakeholders at Barclays and a strong network of founders, while offering practical support to refine our commercial strategy and approach to enterprise partnerships. It’s played an important role in shaping how we think about scaling White Label Loyalty.”
Tom Dunning, CEO, Snicket Labs, helps video-led businesses reduce cost and waste by streamlining content libraries to reduce unnecessary storage, processing and carbon.
“The programme offered an excellent mix of workshops, in-person events and practical sessions, covering everything from value proposition and leadership training through to financial strategy and the mechanics of writing a term sheet.
“The dinners, including those with investors, were a real highlight and the ongoing access to mentors and follow-up sessions has meant the value has extended well beyond the programme itself. A strong recommendation for any founder or leadership team looking to build both strategic and operational depth.”
Fraser Edwards, CEO and Co-Founder, Cheqd, which builds trust and payment infrastructure for digital identity, AI agents and verifiable data ecosystems.
“Barclays, Plexal and their accelerators have been fantastic for our maturation as a company. Learning more best practices from industry leaders and other members of the incredible cohorts we were part of has been invaluable.
“Both during and after, the Barclays and Plexal teams have been extremely helpful in terms of support, welcoming us into their ecosystems and allowing us to tap in their networks. I’d wholeheartedly recommend anyone starting out to apply and if selected, join.”
Applications close at the end of July – complete your submission via Barclays Eagle Labs now.
