Discovery Park, Kent’s science and innovation hub, has launched the sixth edition of its Discovery Spark accelerator programme, welcoming 11 startups to its campus in Sandwich.
The business growth programme has already supported 50 companies and 76 founders, with alumni securing £5.5m in UKRI funding since launching in 2023. For Cohort 6.0, the startups were selected based on the need for their innovation, the uniqueness of their solution, and the strength of their team. Spark is designed to provide opportunities for companies to grow a network of peers, mentors and expert advisors, as part of a friendly and collaborative cohort.
Throughout March and April, the Cohort 6.0 founders will be attending specialist-led sessions focused on investor readiness, covering essential business topics from tax and finance to storytelling and branding. The programme culminates with a competitive pitch day on 30 April to a panel of active investors.
Cohort 6.0 includes three local companies from Kent, all based at Discovery Park. Green innovator Hydro Flow Energy is harnessing the natural rise and fall of the tide to deliver predictable and grid-stable power. Protein startup MilaK is developing next-generation bioactive milk proteins through precision fermentation, providing animal-free products for nutrition. Energy technology expert Colliding Materials is developing scalable, low-cost graphene composite technology for flow battery and fuel cell manufacturers.
The cohort also draws talent from across the UK, including Belfast-based BlokBio which is aiming to accelerate drug discovery cycles through better genomic data analysis workflows. London-based Veirulence is developing a new class of antibacterial drug, and RoboRNA from Durham is working on smarter ways to package and deliver RNA therapeutics to the right cells in the body, taking inspiration from viruses in nature.
Programme Lead Renos Savva, Head of Innovation and Venture Development at Discovery Park, commented:
“Cohort 6.0 brings together an exceptionally diverse group of founders - solving challenges from greener energy to new antibacterial drugs. That breadth reflects both the strength of applications we received and the versatility of the Discovery Spark programme. Over the coming weeks, we'll work closely with each company to sharpen their commercial strategy, investor narrative and growth plans. The goal, as always, is to leave every founder better equipped to secure funding and scale their business."
The accelerator is open to UK-based science and technology startups and SMEs from all disciplines. Learn more about Discovery Spark and register interest for the next cohort: https://discovery-park.co.uk/lp/discovery-spark/
Details of 11 companies taking part in Discovery Spark Cohort 6.0 (listed alphabetically):
Anthera is a remediation technology provider focused on PFAS, the so-called 'forever chemicals' that contaminate drinking water and soil. Aiming to make remediation simple, effective, and affordable, Anthera has developed an advanced photocatalytic oxidation process that destroys up to 90% of PFAS – with lower operational costs and less energy compared to current methods.
BlokBio builds RNA evidence infrastructure — the governed layer that makes RNA experimental outputs reusable across programmes, teams, and AI systems. Already deployed in paid RNA target discovery programmes in oncology, BlokBio plans to launch a self-serve analysis platform where researchers can access decision-grade RNA analysis directly, removing bottlenecks in genomic data analysis workflows.
Colliding Materials is developing scalable, low-cost graphene composite technology for energy systems such as flow battery and fuel cell manufacturers. Colliding Materials has a know-how-protected process producing graphene-enhanced composites that are formed into bipolar plates for integration into next-generation energy systems, improving performance whilst reducing costs.
Hydro Flow Energy is developing TideMaster technology — a patent-pending tidal energy generation system that harnesses the natural rise and fall of the tide to deliver consistently predictable, grid-stable power. TideMaster converts the vertical motion of tidal cycles into rotational energy via a novel buoyancy mechanism, generating clean power continuously, 24 hours a day, without disrupting marine ecosystems.
Kratu
Kratu is a technology-driven education startup focused on improving learning outcomes for children with learning difficulties, designing and delivering scalable learning and diagnostic tools that address real-world learning needs and help bridge critical skill gaps. Their goal is to create an inclusive learning ecosystem where individuals, families, and educators can access continuous, personalised support both within and beyond traditional institutions.
MilaK is developing next-generation bioactive milk proteins through precision fermentation. Their mission is to produce human-identical, animal-free dairy proteins that support immune resilience, iron regulation, and metabolic health while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of traditional dairy production.
Project Navarro
Project Navarro is aiming to establish an oncology-focused first-in-class drug discovery programme based on a novel biochemical network modelling approach. The use of powerful modelling technology supports the selection of drug targets and method/modality, supporting intelligent drug discovery with potentially revolutionary impacts on the lives of patients.
RoboRNA is focused on next-generation RNA therapeutics. The company’s mission is to tackle two of the field’s most pressing challenges: RNA instability and tissue-specific delivery. To address these bottlenecks, they are developing a set of RNA packaging and delivery solutions for tissue-specific, programmable delivery, taking inspiration from viral entry and viral RNA delivery mechanisms.
Valaya Bio
Valaya Bio is developing a novel disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's Disease, focused on upstream modulation of key biological control points that influence multiple pathological processes. Their innovation employs precision oligonucleotide technology designed to selectively modulate master regulators of disease networks, enabling coordinated influence across dysfunctional pathways that drive Parkinson’s Disease progression.
VectorisBio is developing advanced purification technologies for viral vectors used in cell and gene therapy, aiming to accelerate the development and accessibility of next-generation biologic medicines. Their proprietary platform designs and synthesises novel synthetic affinity ligands capable of selectively binding viral vectors. These ligands can be integrated into membrane and chromatography-based purification systems to enable faster, more efficient capture and purification while maintaining high yield and product quality.
Veirulence is developing a new class of antibacterial drug – virulence factor (VF) targeting therapies. VF-targeting therapies can achieve improved patient outcomes by “disarming” bacteria. Inhibition of VFs reduces bacterial virulence, can potentiate antibiotics and delay the development of resistance. Veirulence’s first-in-class small molecule therapeutic aims to reduce mortality in haem malignancy patients with Gram-negative infections.
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