2026 TBAT Innovation Challenge

Our Sponsors

See below the details of our 2026 Innovation Challenge sponsors.

Headline Sponsor

Shakespeare Martineau provides a wide range of legal services to individuals, businesses, and organisations across various sectors, including corporate law, real estate, employment law, and litigation. Known for its client-focused approach and a commitment to delivering effective legal solutions, the firm has established a strong reputation in the legal industry.

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Platinum Sponsor

Barclays Eagle Labs are an entrepreneurial network supporting ambitious start-ups and scaleups. Their mission is to connect the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through their networks, support and expertise, tailored learning and programmes, to help businesses innovate and grow. They provide support to founders at the initial idea stage, starting up their new business and beyond.

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Welcome Drinks Sponsor

Rhodes Wealth Management are a financial advice company based in Derby & Nottingham, specialising in Retirement Planning, Corporate Planning and Estate & Legacy Planning. They work with business owners to put strategies in place to help protect you when life gets tough, and secure the future you’ve worked hard to build.

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Audience Winner Award Sponsor

Sprk is the UK’s specialist innovation lender, working with the British Business Bank and as an Innovate UK Investor Partner. They provide simple funding solutions against R&D tax credits and grants, alongside longer-term innovation finance to help businesses extend runway and scale with confidence.

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Design Award Sponsor

OPD is a leading product design consultancy supporting innovators from concept to launch. We’ve proudly partnered with TBAT from the beginning – sponsoring their Design Award and building long-term relationships with past winners. Our award-winning approach, New Product Science™, blends creativity and rigour to deliver commercially successful, impactful products.

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Workshop 1 ‘From Idea to Initiation’ Sponsor

Dains is a leading advisory and accountancy firm focused on what matters most to you. With expert insight and a personal approach, they help ambitious SMEs throughout the UK to protect value, manage risk, and achieve long-term success – because your success matters.

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Workshop 2 ‘Developing, Protecting & Preparing to grow’ Sponsor

Forresters is a leading full service intellectual property (IP) firm. Their broad technical expertise means that, whatever your area of technology, they can provide clear, sensible and practical advice in a language you’ll understand. They offer IP audits and consultation, exploring how you can harness your IP for maximum benefit.

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Workshop 3 ‘Investment, Traction & The Team’ Sponsor

Isosceles Finance supports fast-growing and investor-backed businesses with fractional CFO, accounting, HR, and advisory expertise. Helping ambitious companies to grow with Fractional CFO, Accounting and HR Services, it provides scalable finance leadership and strategic guidance.

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Workshop 4 ‘The Launch & Scale Phase’ Sponsor

Established in March 1983, Datalink Electronics Ltd is a renowned ISO 13485, AS 9100 and ISO 9001 certified UK contract electronics manufacturing company. They specialise in high-technology product design, development and manufacturing and provide a wide variety of integrated design and production services that are tailored to the various needs of their customers.

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Rising Star Award Sponsor

Sequel Consultants Ltd provides innovator support services to life sciences and health tech startups and SMEs. We combine marketing, business development, funding, and regulatory insight to help early-stage companies grow with clarity, credibility, and confidence. Our fractional model gives founders access to senior expertise without the cost of full-time teams.

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Media Partner

Med-Tech Insights:

Med-Tech Insights is a digital solutions portfolio, delivering expert-led coverage of the MedTech sector. MTI’s content focuses on four key areas – Medical Plastics, Medical Device Manufacturing, AI & Digital Health, and FemTech. With a dedicated content team and a focus on high-quality journalism, Med-Tech Insights keeps the audience informed and engaged through multimedia content and in-depth reporting.

Med-Tech Expo:

Med-Tech Expo is firmly positioned as the UK and Ireland’s leading event for medical device manufacturing. The event brings together leaders, engineers, innovators, and manufacturers, connecting them with technology and innovation to facilitate the design and manufacture of life-changing medical devices.

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