A partnership of some of the city’s most influential organisations has announced the launch of a new £2 million Health Innovation Leeds Incubator, a collaborative initiative designed to accelerate growth of healthtech businesses in the region and beyond.
Unveiled by the Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr James Lewis, at the West Yorkshire Health Tech Cluster’s “Driving the Future of Innovation” event on 6 November, the Incubator will help supercharge the region’s vibrant and fast-growing healthtech sector, cementing Leeds’ status as a top health innovation hub.
The new Incubator is funded by the West Yorkshire Healthtech Investment Zone, and led by Nexus at the University of Leeds together with Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, working closely with Leeds City Council.
Innovators supported by the Health Innovation Leeds Incubator will benefit from expertise across the region’s flagship innovation assets – including the University of Leeds’ £40m global innovation community, Nexus, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s pioneering Innovation Pop Up, and the new Sports Health Tech Incubator at Leeds Beckett University.
Businesses joining the Incubator will gain tailored support to address barriers to growth, access expertise covering the entire innovation journey from prototype to market and tap into one of the UK’s strongest industry networks. Unlike traditional incubator models, the initiative welcomes companies of all sizes, with a focus on supporting local and regional start-ups and SMEs.
Leeds is already one of the top three global locations for healthtech companies, at the heart of a region which is home to one third of all UK healthtech businesses. The local tech sector is expanding at a rate 125% above the national average, with AI job growth outpacing London.
Unparalleled partnerships underpin the city’s internationally-renowned ecosystem – represented by Health Innovation Leeds – which brings together world-class academic research, an outstanding healthtech industry cluster and a single, cohesive health and care partnership.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“Backed by our £160 million investment zone, our healthtech ecosystem is one of the most dynamic in the UK, with Leeds a global leader.
“With huge ambition for our regional economy, we want to untangle the challenges that innovators face, so they can contribute to our vision of a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”
“This multimillion-pound incubator will offer bespoke support to more rapidly convert scientific research into tangible solutions for the NHS, creating well-paid jobs and better patient care for all.”
Health Innovation Leeds is supported by Leeds Academic Health Partnership, one of the biggest of its kind in the UK. Partnership Director, Kate Lodge, said:
“When it comes to health innovation, Leeds is setting the pace and shaping the future. This is the city where breakthroughs are born, ideas are tested at speed, and where bold partnerships support businesses to start, scale and go global thanks to standout support.
“The new Health Innovation Leeds Incubator is an exciting example of this powerful collaboration in action, combining expertise from leading universities and one of the country’s biggest teaching hospitals. Leeds is already a top city for start-ups and scale-ups, and this new initiative will give even more businesses the bespoke support they need to grow. If you’re a healthtech company ready to unlock the next step in your business journey, Leeds is invested in your success. Register your interest and join us as, together, we transform health and care for everyone.”
From helping entrepreneurs access apprenticeships and local talent to guiding scale-ups into national and international markets, the Health Innovation Leeds Incubator will connect innovators with the right people, programs, and expertise at every stage. Support includes tailored pathways to regional resources and accelerator initiatives such as Propel Healthtech, ensuring that Leeds remains the UK’s top city for nurturing business growth and making tomorrow’s healthcare possible today.
Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“We’re proud to be part of this exciting, collaborative initiative with our partners in Leeds. As one of the country’s largest teaching hospitals and a centre for excellence for research and innovation, it’s fantastic that the innovation happening in Leeds not only makes a difference locally, but has a real impact across the world. This is thanks to the amazing expertise and passion of our teams, working in partnership with businesses, academia and our communities.
“The new Health Innovation Leeds Incubator means we will expand Leeds Teaching Hospitals’ Innovation Pop Up, to help connect even more healthtech businesses with the NHS and, in turn, help to introduce more cutting-edge solutions directly to our patients’ bedside. This is great news for innovators who will receive bespoke expertise and even better news for patients and communities as we help to deliver tomorrow’s healthcare today.”
Dr Ai Lyn Tan, Medical Director – Research and Innovation at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust continued:
“This new Health Innovation Leeds Incubator is fantastic news for the NHS, Leeds and the wider region. The Trust’s Innovation Pop Up, is already a well-established front door for the NHS, uniting innovators and clinicians to deliver real-world healthcare solutions. This Health Innovation Incubator means we can take the Innovation Pop Up to the next level, expanding our community of members to help connect even more healthtech businesses with clinicians and identify more ways to transform research and science into tacking the biggest health challenges - helping us to speed up diagnosis, prevent illness and improving patient care.”
Businesses can register interest at healthinnovationleeds.com and be the first to hear more, including details of an innovator information event in early 2026.