Yorkshire businesses and entrepreneurs to benefit from launch of region's first Eagle Lab

Barclays and Kollider have announced a new partnership agreement that will see the bank launch its first Eagle Lab in Yorkshire.

The lab is designed to operate as a space for businesses and entrepreneurs to scale their business, and communities to learn about new technologies.

Located at the Kollider facility in Sheffield, and combining the Barclays Eagle Lab model with Kollider’s incubator operation, the lab will support Yorkshire’s entrepreneurs and businesses as they look to create, innovate and grow.

Sheffield will be the 16th Eagle Lab launched by Barclays, following sites in locations including London, Liverpool, Cambridge and Cardiff.

David Mathieson, Barclays business banking area manager, said: “Yorkshire’s entrepreneurs need new investment and support in order to scale-up, and we are equipped to help them grow and complete on a world stage.

“As a partner, Kollider brings unrivalled expertise in the digital sector, while our Barclays experts are able to provide the mentoring, connections and collaborations required for Yorkshire’s businesses to flourish – you could say that the two are perfectly paired for this partnership.

“Sheffield is an exciting digital hub with huge growth potential. Our new Eagle Lab, which forms part of our wider growth strategy in Yorkshire to help businesses and entrepreneurs to develop, will help stimulate economic growth and create jobs in the local area and across Yorkshire.”

The new Eagle Lab will open its doors later this year at Castle House, in the Castlegate area of the city centre and operate as Kollider powered by Barclays Eagle Lab.

Kollider powered by Barclays Eagle Lab will be based on the fourth floor of the building and house a Centre of Excellence; supporting businesses across sector specific industries including; smart materials, health and wellbeing, games development, intelligent environments and media.

Barclays will also be the exclusive banking partner for the space.

Nick Morgan, of Kollider, added: “We are delighted to partner with Barclays Eagle Labs to create a vibrant, collaborative and economically important destination at Castle House, an 80,000 sq ft tech, digital, social and experiential project which we all believe has the power to act as a catalyst for the economic, social, physical and cultural regeneration in a key part of the city.

“Our focus is on delivering a home for an already dynamic community, encouraging innovation and stimulating business growth in the city region. The Barclays Eagle Labs team and wider Barclays community are a critical partner in powering these outcomes.

“There are lots of incubators and work-spaces across the UK, but few have all the elements to properly scale great ideas - access to money, environment, support, skills, coders and analysists, international business development and IP. Kollider is uniquely placed to offer this.”