Discovery Park has launched applications for its immersive business growth programme, ‘Discovery Spark’, seeking early stage companies in cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health.
Partnered with health-specialist venture capital firm Zinc, the initiative offers expert-led business skills sessions and the opportunity to secure £250k Zinc investment.
Discovery Spark is a transformative business programme for early-stage startups, led by science and tech hub Discovery Park. With practical sessions bridging the gap between science and business, Discovery Spark provides the tools, mind-set and strategy to build a thriving, investment-ready company. The programme culminates in a pitch day with investors and industry leaders, providing the chance to win a Zinc investment package plus tailored support from additional prize partners.
The latest Spark focus was selected for its significant burden on health. Cardiovascular diseases – affecting the heart and circulatory systems – account for 1 in 4 of all deaths in the UK[1] and include conditions like coronary heart disease and stroke. Cardiometabolic health includes the cardiovascular system plus metabolic health (processing and using energy from food), which is closely linked. Cardiometabolic diseases include diabetes and high blood pressure. In the UK, over 5.6 million people have diabetes,1 and one third of adults with diabetes will go on to die from a heart or circulatory disease.1
Natalie Pankova, Managing Director, Healthcare Investments, Zinc:
“Cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases remain the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, yet innovation in these areas continues to lag behind their global burden. Zinc is excited to partner with Discovery Park on the next cohort of the Discovery Spark programme, leveraging science-based innovation to make an impact.”
Renos Savva, Head of Innovation and Venture Development, Discovery Park:
“In the critical field of heart and metabolic health, startups and spin-outs deliver transformative advances which will save lives. Despite the clear need, the environment for new businesses remains tough, so Discovery Spark exists to support future leaders in their earliest days to get ready for sustainable investment and business growth. For founders, you can expect hands-on, personalised guidance, relevant introductions, and to be part of a friendly, collaborative cohort.”
The next Spark programme, Cohort 5.0, will run September to October 2025. The deadline for application is 18th July 2025, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn more and apply: https://discovery-park.co.uk/lp/discovery-spark-cohort-5/
Discovery Spark Cohort 5.0 is focused on innovation related to cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health, but is technology and modality agnostic. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Cardiovascular disease in women
- Childhood metabolic health
- Digital and hardware-based therapies
- Gene editing and RNA therapeutics
- Gut microbiome and metabolic health
- Heart failure
- Inflammation and atherosclerosis
- Lipoprotein targeting
- Metabolic health equality
- Multiomics biomarker discovery
- Risk stratification and imaging
- Sleep, stress and chronobiology
- Therapeutics beyond GLP-1s and combination therapies
Discovery Spark is open to UK based, early-stage life science and tech companies with demonstrated proof of concept and the freedom to operate.
To be eligible for Zinc investment, companies must be early/inception/pre-seed stage and be pre-investment. Companies must have an existing validated idea or technology (e.g. preclinical proof of concept or TRL 3/4).
[1] British Heart Foundation Statistics Factsheet – UK, Jan 2025, BHF UK CVD Factsheet
