We've Been Selected for Innovate UK Edge
Innovate UK are supporting us through their EDGE initiative to help us scale. They will be helping with our innovation and internationalisation efforts.Â
They help businesses develop and improve new products, services, and processes. We’re looking forward to working with them and learning from what they have to offer.
FAQs
What does Innovate UK Edge do?
Innovate UK Edge is the support service for innovative UK businesses with high growth potential. It provides access to specialist advisors, international networks, and connections to funding and partnerships. Being selected for Innovate UK Edge is a recognition that a business has the potential to grow significantly — and needs support to do so effectively.
For Nightingale HQ in mid-2021, the timing of the Innovate UK Edge selection aligned with a clear growth trajectory. The COVID-19 period had established GoSmarter’s tools in the market, the initial Innovate UK grant had funded the development of the toolbox, and the company was ready to focus on scaling — both within the UK and into international markets, particularly Ireland and Germany.
What did the support cover?
Innovate UK Edge support is tailored to each business’s specific needs and growth plans. For Nightingale HQ, the focus was on two areas that mattered most at that stage: innovation (ensuring the product development roadmap was ambitious and well-evidenced) and internationalisation (identifying the right markets, the right entry strategies, and the right partners for international expansion).
The internationalisation support was particularly timely. Nightingale HQ had already established a presence in Ireland through Ruth Kearney’s network and was actively exploring the German market, where the Mittelstand — the SME manufacturing sector — represented a significant opportunity for AI tools designed specifically for manufacturing operations.
What is Innovate UK's broader mission?
Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency, part of UK Research and Innovation. Its mission is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting businesses in developing and commercialising new products, processes, and services. The EDGE initiative specifically targets businesses at the growth stage — those that have proven their concept and need support to scale.
For the Welsh tech sector, Innovate UK’s support for Cardiff-based companies like Nightingale HQ demonstrates the national relevance of what is being built outside of London.