Barclays Eagle Labs marks 10 years of driving growth in the UK innovation economy
Barclays today marked the 10-year anniversary of Eagle Labs, its nationwide initiative supporting UK entrepreneurs and innovators, with the launch of a landmark report ‘Barclays: Backing UK Innovation for a Decade’ and the start of Barclays Entrepreneurs Week 2025.
Since its inception in 2015, Barclays Eagle Labs has grown into one of the UK’s most extensive support networks for founders and scale-ups. Over the past decade, Eagle Labs have supported almost 20,000 businesses – businesses who have collectively created more than 50,000 jobs and raised over £5bn in funding.
Originally established to foster digital empowerment, Eagle Labs has evolved into a nationwide network of 43 locations, connecting entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, universities, industry experts, and local authorities. Its mission to democratise access to innovation has enabled founders to scale their ideas, raise investment, and transition from startup to exit with dedicated support from Barclays.
The report’s findings also highlight the broader contribution which Eagle Labs-supported businesses have had on the UK economy. Since 2015, those companies have contributed an estimated £1.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy.
Abdul Qureshi, head of business banking at Barclays, said: ‘Ten years ago, we recognised that the next wave of the UK’s economic growth would be powered by ambitious entrepreneurs in the High Growth Innovation Economy. When we first founded Eagle Labs in 2015 – we made a commitment that Barclays would play a key role in catalysing that growth by helping the tens of thousands of brilliant UK entrepreneurs turn their great ideas into growth businesses.
Over the past decade, we have seen extraordinary innovation and resilience from our founders across every region of the UK and we are extremely proud to have played a part in supporting their journeys. As founders continue to innovate and build amazing UK businesses, we at Barclays look forward to another decade of supporting them in turning dreams into reality.’
Peter Lee, Partner at Simmons and Simmons and co-founder of Wavelength said: “When Drew Winlaw and I set up Wavelength, our bootstrapped start-up in Cambridge in 2016, we were so grateful for the support of Barclays Eagle Labs. We were lucky enough to be the very first Eagle Lab member. I remember our first visit to see Benjamin Story when the Cambridge branch was still being fitted out and was essentially a building site. We moved in as soon as we could and never looked back. The support, flexibility, and community were a very special and important part of our growth in the early months and years of our business. I am proud to say that we were acquired by Simmons & Simmons in 2019, marking the first successful exit by acquisition from Eagle Labs. We remain very fond of Eagle Labs and all the members and staff who have supported us over the years!”
As Barclays Entrepreneurs Week begins, Eagle Labs will host a series of national and regional events celebrating the achievements of the UK’s founders, showcasing innovation in action, and setting out Barclays’ continued ambition to support the next decade of entrepreneurial growth.