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Is your invention worth more than a million? Learn from the Trunki Inventor's ÂŁ7M journey.

Is your invention worth more than a million? Learn from the Trunki Inventor's ÂŁ7M journey. Rob Law, the inventive mind behind Trunki, the globally recognised brand of ride-on children's suitcases, is a testament to the power of individual innovation. His journey from a starting idea to success demonstrates that individual inventors can hold their own [...]

Should I take my idea further? Ask yourself these three questions

Should I take my idea further? Ask yourself these three questions The UK is a nation of people with great ideas, no wonder it ranked 4th in the Global Innovation Index 2023, behind  Switzerland, Sweden and the United States. If you are one of those people who can spot a problem with a product and [...]

Funding Insights from British Business Finance Week: Start-up Loans and Business Angels

Funding Insights from British Business Finance Week: Start-up Loans and Business Angels Taking the decision to turn your idea into a reality is a truly exciting step. Finding proper support is essential in those early moments so last week I travelled to Business Finance Week to explore all the opportunities that can help kickstart your [...]

From Patent to Profit: The Story of SPANX and Sara Blakely

From Patent to Profit: The Story of SPANX and Sara Blakely Talking about Intellectual Property usually means discussing how much patents are really worth, especially with so many legal battles over patent rights and disagreements. Many believe that a patent is only as valuable as the money you have to back it up in court. [...]

How to get funding for an idea: Navigating the Pathways of Early-Stage Funding

How to get funding for an idea: Navigating the Pathways of Early-Stage Funding Are you eager to bring your groundbreaking idea to life but finding yourself stuck at the initial hurdle of funding? While self-funding is often preferable and can give you control over your project, it can be useful to look to external sources.  [...]

Meet Donna our new Lead Fashion and Textile Designer

Meet Donna our new Lead Fashion and Textile Designer Industry Leading Design The design team has a new addition, and we are super excited to introduce Donna, our Lead Fashion and Textile Designer. She oversees the fabric projects that we work on and ensures that the team develops market-leading designs. Donna has designed for some [...]

Funding Opportunities - ÂŁ25 million for smart grants

Innovate celebrates World IP Day at the House of Commons We noticed a couple of interesting funding opportunities which might be useful if you are considering, or already developing a new product idea. ÂŁ25 million in grants Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering grants totalling up to ÂŁ25 million for "game-changing [...]

Design Competition: Design Innovation in Plastics 2023 winner announced

Design Competition Winning Dublin student creates new flossing device for teeth cleaning Many congratulations to Christopher Kenny, a student from Technological University Dublin, who has won this year’s Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition with an ingenious bathroom item. We would also like to congratulate Innovates' winner Kyle Farquhar, a student from Edinburgh Napier University. [...]

Unlocking Success: Crowdfunding's Role in Overcoming Market Failure

Unlocking Success: Crowdfunding's Role in Overcoming Market Failure According to CB Insights, a staggering 42% of start-ups fail due to a lack of market need. However, crowdfunding is a remarkable avenue for entrepreneurs and inventors to validate their ideas, prove their market, and turn concepts into reality without investment. In this blog, we delve into [...]

How to buy customers and make more money from your product

How to buy customers and make more money from your product Buying customers may sound strange at first. You have a product to sell to customers - you didn't want to buy anything from them? But thinking about sales and marketing as simply buying customers can help you make more sales, and if you get [...]