Barclays Eagle Labs

09/10/2026

⏳The countdown to Entrepreneurs Festival 2026 is on.

This November, founders, investors, industry leaders and ecosystem partners from across the UK will come together for a week of inspiration and connections 🥳

With events taking place nationwide, Entrepreneurs Festival 2026 will feature networking, thought leadership, founder experiences, virtual content and much more.

Whether you're looking to grow your business, expand your network or discover fresh ideas, there's something for everyone.

📅 2-6 November 2026

Explore the programme and build your Festival experience today 👇
https://labs.uk.barclays/entrepreneurs-festival-2026/

08/10/2026

🚨Applications close next week

Apply today for the Circular Economy Foundations Programme, Powered by Visa and you could learn about:
✅Customer demand
✅Pricing
✅Operational resilience
✅Partnerships
✅Regulation.

You'll also have access to Entrepreneur Academy content, Visa financial education resources, sessions with expert speakers, mentoring and peer learning with other businesses.

Don't miss out, apply now 👇
https://labs.uk.barclays/what-we-offer/our-programmes/circular-economy-foundations-programme/

06/10/2026

🚨Don't forget to register for our upcoming event tomorrow: Join the agentic future: transform your business with AI

🎤Mike Millar and Andreas Melvaer from SmplCo discuss how businesses are using AI to achieve real results today.

All attendees will receive:
✅A free guide to building internal tools with AI
✅The opportunity to book a free 1-2-1 AI-readiness audit with our speakers
✅Access to SmplCo’s open-source internal tools

Don't miss out, register now 👇

Practical AI tools can boost productivity, cut costs and streamline your business.

05/10/2026

📢New blog on Entrepreneur Academy

Business Banking 101: The 10 essentials every new founder should know

🤔Starting a business involves a lot of decisions. You'll have to think about your product, customers, pricing, marketing, sales and a lot more. But many founders discover that some of the most important parts of running a business are things nobody explains.

These 10 questions cover some banking essentials all founders should consider when getting started.

Read the full blog here 👇and sign up to learn more about growing your business

The 10 Essentials Every New Founder Should Know

02/10/2026

🎤October virtual events

October brings you events including climate tech stories, mistakes founders make expanding into the US and going beyond formal IP rights.

Here's what's coming up:

📖Telling your climate tech business story
Tuesday 6 October, 12:00 - 13:00

🤖Join the agentic future: transform your business with AI
Wednesday 7 October, 12:00 - 13:00

🌎Expanding to the US: the mistakes UK founders need to avoid
Wednesday 14 October, 12:00 - 13:00

💷The founder who hates selling but does it anyway
Thursday 15 October, 12:00 - 13:00

🤔Beyond the formal IP rights: what happens to everything you can't register?
Tuesday 20 October, 12:00 - 13:00

Register here for all upcoming events 👇
https://labs.uk.barclays/events/

30/09/2026

September has been a big month

🚀 We kicked off with a Demo Directory Demo Day, welcomed founders and ecosystem partners at our Oxford Afternoon Tea and Pitch event, celebrated entrepreneurial success at the Asian Founders Awards, and joined conversations shaping the future of technology at Cambridge Tech Week and Turing Fest where we also brought together scaling founders for exclusive dinners.

📈 We saw the latest cohorts begin their journeys on our Scaleup Programme and Aquis IPO Academy, alongside a packed calendar of virtual events helping founders access insights, expertise and valuable connections.

🍂 And we're not slowing down.

October is shaping up to be another exciting month, with more events, programmes, networking opportunities and founder support on the way.

And looking ahead to November, we're bringing you Entrepreneurs Festival - a celebration of entrepreneurship featuring events taking place across the UK, designed to connect, inspire and support founders at every stage of their journey.

Keep an eye on our channels for more information and how you can get involved. We can't wait to share what's next 👀

22/09/2026

🎤Fundraising season is open: what investors are looking for right now

Join Mike Millar, Founder of SmplCo and Neil Wood, Founder of Wood Associates London for our latest event where they'll be discussing:
✅Who the right investors could be for you
✅What investors care about right now, and what they don’t
✅How to tell a compelling growth story, backed by data
✅How to best prepare your product, metrics and narrative
✅How to inspire confidence in investors, even before a pitch
✅Common mistakes that can kill deals.

Register now 👇

It’s prime time to talk to investors about fundraising. Find out how you can best position your business to win funding in a tough market.

17/09/2026

A fantastic few days at Cambridge Tech Week 🥳

Colleagues from Eagle Labs and Innovation Banking were proud to be part of the event, connecting with founders and innovators from across the tech ecosystem.

From our stand in Innovation Alley, we had the opportunity to speak with so many inspiring businesses, hear about the challenges they're tackling, and learn about the exciting innovations shaping the future.

We also attended a range of insightful sessions, including a highly competitive pitch competition showcasing some of the incredible talent and ambition within the UK tech community.

🚂Our next stop is Turing Fest, if you're heading to Edinburgh next week make sure to come and find us 😀

16/09/2026

The Circular Economy Foundations Programme is still open for applications

Powered by Visa this new programme is designed to help UK SMEs understand how circular business models could benefit their business.

Over six weeks, you'll learn about:
🙋‍♀️ Customer demand
💷 Pricing
🦾 Operational resilience
🤝 Partnerships
📜 Regulation.

Find out more and register today 👇
https://labs.uk.barclays/what-we-offer/our-programmes/circular-economy-foundations-programme/

14/09/2026

Something exciting is happening in South Yorkshire 🚀

Join us for the launch of Barclays Eagle Labs South Yorkshire, in partnership with Sheffield Technology Parks 🥳

Together with founders, investors, partners and universities from across the region, we'll be celebrating the people, ideas and organisations driving innovation forward.

📍Site Gallery - Sheffield
📆Thursday 8 October | 18:00 - 22:00
🔗Register here 👇
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barclays-eagle-labs-south-yorkshire-launch-event-tickets-1999760916734?aff=oddtdtcreator