LYVA Labs

💡 Liverpool named a finalist for the 2026 European Capital of Innovation Awards! A proud moment for our city, and a powerful recognition of the people and partnerships driving innovation across the Liverpool City Region. The European Commission has announced that Liverpool is one of the top three finalists in the European Capital of Innovation (iCapital) Awards 2026, which celebrate cities leading the way in inclusive, sustainable, and resilient innovation. No UK city has ever won this award – so it’s an exciting opportunity that builds on our achievements as Capital of Culture in 2008 and as a recent Eurovision host. At LYVA Labs, we’re proud to play our part in this journey. We work alongside start-ups and SMEs across the Liverpool City Region, helping them develop, fund, and scale innovations that make a real difference. This shortlisting recognises the strength of Liverpool’s innovation ecosystem and the people and partnerships driving it forward. 👏 Congratulations to everyone involved in the LIFE bid, including, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Liverpool City Council, and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) for showcasing our city’s ambition and creativity on the European stage. 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gSKutcgz #Liverpool #Innovation #EuropeanCapitalOfInnovation #LYVALabs #LiverpoolCityRegion #InnovationEcosystem

Great to see three of our Board Members from University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Liverpool John Moores University, delivering a panel discussion at the 'LCR Innovation Investment Summit' this morning, chaired by Lorna Green. The key topic discussed was the challenges and opportunities for universities in driving high growth clusters, with earlier speakers covering place-based innovation, UK innovation policy and funding, and delivering a new Industrial Strategy. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | Innovate UK | LYVA Labs

🚀 New Report: Microbiome Discovery to Commercialisation We’re excited to announce the launch of our first in-depth report into an emerging cluster — Microbiome Discovery to Commercialisation: Developing the Liverpool City Region Innovation Ecosystem As the first report of its kind from LYVA Labs, it explores how microbiome science is transforming health, sustainability, and economic growth. It highlights the Liverpool City Region’s world-leading strengths, barriers to commercialisation, and real-world case studies showcasing innovation in action. 📘 Inside the report, you’ll find: 🔹 An overview of the microbiome landscape and its growing impact 🔹 Barriers holding back translation and commercialisation 🔹 Case studies showcasing innovation in action 🔹 Recommendations to unlock future opportunities for Liverpool City Region Our Head of Strategic Partnerships, Farhad Ahmed MA, Cert.Ed, FRSA, will also be sharing insights from the report during his talk this afternoon at MaID Connect: Autumn 2025, where he’ll discuss “Translating microbiome research into commercial and implementation impact in the Liverpool City Region.” 👉 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/epWfG_Uk This report is part of a project funded by iiCON via UKRI (Tackling Infectious Diseases projects) to look at barriers to translating and commercialising microbiome Innovation. Janet Hemingway | Matt Reed | Dr Gabriela Juárez Martínez | Mike Hoptroff | Barry Murphy | Jo Fothergill | Steve Paterson | Katie McAllister | Francis Lee | Tariq Iqbal | Damian Kelly | Allister Theobald | Georgios Oikonomou | Joanna Wiecek | BoobyBiome | John Whaling | Roddy Maccallum | Matt Biagetti | Elizabeth Crawford | Halima Jibril | James Connolly | Paul Dobson | William Rowe | Jennifer Crooks | Eva Caamano Gutierrez (PhD, MSc, Lda, AFHEA) | Lauren Mee | Ismini Nakouti | Gary Leeming | Chrysi Sergaki, PhD | Pallavi Deshpande, PhD | William Green | Lorna Green | Ivo Kerkhof | Farhad Ahmed MA, Cert.Ed, FRSA | Anaz Abbas | National Biofilms Innovation Centre | iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | #Innovation #Microbiome #HealthTech #LifeSciences #LiverpoolCityRegion #ResearchCommercialisation

🧬 Lorna Green chairing panel at ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 Next Wednesday, Lorna Green, will be chairing the panel: Enabling Academic–Industry Collaboration to Unlock Next-Generation Technologies at this year’s ELRIG Drug Discovery conference at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool. Hosted once again in Liverpool, ELRIG Drug Discovery is Europe’s leading drug discovery and life sciences conference, bringing together scientists, innovators, and industry leaders to explore breakthroughs in AI, robotics, oncology, ‘omics, and neurodegenerative disease research. Lorna’s session will focus on how collaboration between academia and industry can accelerate discovery and help unlock the next generation of health technologies. It’s great to see such a major event taking place in the Liverpool City Region, highlighting our region's strengths in life sciences and innovation, as well as the opportunities to deliver even greater impact. 🔗 Find out more about the event: https://lnkd.in/es7P9Vjq #DrugDiscovery2025 #LifeSciences #Innovation #HealthTech #Liverpool #DrugDiscovery

Great to see Harker, one of our current incubator cohort, officially launching their data and reporting platform today! Congratulations James Barber and Zack Walker. Culmination of lots of hard work on this societal issue and ensuring charities can focus their time on what really matters. If you're an organisation working in the homelessness sector, make sure to get in touch with the Harker team to see how they can help you deliver even greater impact.

Looking to develop a new product or service? Based in #LiverpoolCityRegion? You could get a 50% discount on early stage feasibility work through LYVA Labs' R&D Partner Grant - see below :) Please repost to spread the word!! #innovation #productdevelopment #researchanddevelopment #designanddevelopment #productdesign

🚀 The past two weeks have seen our Incubator cohort dive into two pivotal areas of startup growth: Intellectual Property and People & Partnerships.   💡 In our IP module, led by Marks & Clerk, founders gained a comprehensive understanding of Intellectual Property (IP) - from developing effective patent strategies and safeguarding trade marks and designs, to managing copyright and creative works. The session helped teams identify how IP can strengthen their competitive position and add long-term value to their businesses.   👥 In our People & Partnerships module, founders explored how to build organisations that scale with purpose and resilience. Antony Shimmin (MyCardium AI) kicked things off with why values and culture are the backbone of growth, sharing practical advice on shaping teams, identifying skills gaps, and adapting as a founder.   📊 Elaine Loukes (LYVA Labs) then unpacked the essentials of boards and advisor structures, what makes a great NED, how to find the right support, and the role of fractional expertise as companies scale.   💡 In the afternoon, Lilly Chatwin (Barclays Eagle Labs) showcased the resources available to early-stage founders, including NED opportunities and the Demo Directory.   🎯 To close, the LYVA Labs team led an interactive workshop on milestones and growth, mapping business goals against people and partner needs to align strategy with talent at every stage of the journey.   ✨ Two weeks of insight and growth - helping founders refine their strategy, protect innovation, and scale with confidence. GutSee Health | Refold Therapeutics | Harker | Local Loop Merseyside | TOU | Sum Vivas Ltd | Aimee Cawley | Tom Gregory | Michael Shaw Joanna Wiecek | Tom Crabbe | Zack Walker | James Barber | Tom Woodroof | Rebecca L. | Rob Sims   #StartupJourney #Innovation #ScalingStartups #ScaleUp #LiverpoolCityRegion

It's the last chance to register for MAID Connect 15th October - a stimulating day of talks, group discussion and making connections for everyone working to develop, commercialise and enable microbiome innovation. The event is in Liverpool's iconic Hope Street Hotel and is FREE to attend. Registration link below: Featuring academic talks, business pitches and lots of opportunities to share learning and connect with others. Speakers include: Jo Fothergill - University of Liverpool Bushra Schuitemaker - BIOME9 Nicola Kingswell - LABSKIN LIMITED Nicola Williams - University of Liverpool James Hall - University of Liverpool Dr. Mariam Elgabry - Bronic ltd Lucy Hope - The Daughters of Mars Alistair Darby - Centre for Genomic Research - University of Liverpool Farhad Ahmed MA, Cert.Ed, FRSA - LYVA Labs Mandy Townsend - Health Innovation North West Coast Francis Lee - STFC Hartree Centre We look forward to seeing you there! https://lnkd.in/eQd3mPgF

🎤 Lorna Green chairs panel at the LCR Innovation Investment Summit 2025 We’re proud to share that our CEO, Lorna Green, will be chairing the panel discussion: Challenges and Opportunities for Universities in Driving High-Growth Clusters at this year’s Liverpool City Region Innovation Investment Summit. 📅 15 October 2025, 8:30am - 1pm 📍 The Spine, Paddington Village, Liverpool Developed by LYVA Labs, ICAEW, Innovate UK Business Growth, and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the summit brings together investors, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to explore the future of innovation, investment, and growth in our region. Welcoming national and international speakers from DSIT, British Business Bank, British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), and AxialBridge, this event is an unmissable opportunity to connect, collaborate, and help shape the future of innovation in the Liverpool City Region. 🔗 Secure your place: https://lnkd.in/etRMDZBf #LCRInnovation #InvestmentSummit #LifeSciences #InnovationLeadership #LiverpoolCityRegion