Venturefest South shortlisted for national Hustle Award recognising a decade of startup impact
Venturefest South has been named a finalist in the Outstanding Startup Support category at the prestigious Hustle Awards 2026, recognising a decade of impact in championing innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth across the South.
Organised by Startups Magazine, the Hustle Awards celebrate the best innovation, passion, creativity and dedication within the business landscape, recognising the individuals, organisations and initiatives helping to shape the future of entrepreneurship.
Venturefest South joins an elite shortlist of organisations from across the UK supporting the startup ecosystem. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 9 July 2026 at Shoreditch Exchange in London.
Over the past decade, Venturefest South has become a cornerstone of the region’s innovation landscape, engaging a community of more than 50,000 businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators through its events, programmes and initiatives. Its annual Festival of Innovation continues to go from strength to strength, recording a 28.9% year-on-year increase in attendance and achieving a 94% attendee satisfaction rate in 2025.
The platform has hosted more than 150 live pitches, showcased 450 innovators from across the South and helped connect businesses with more than £1 billion in funding and investment opportunities.
Ed Gould, Chair of Venturefest South and Creative Director at Carswell Gould, said:
“To be recognised as a finalist in the Hustle Awards is a tremendous honour and a testament to the incredible community that has grown around Venturefest South over the last ten years.
“From ambitious startups and scale-ups to investors, universities, corporates and support organisations, Venturefest South exists because of the people and partners who believe in the power of innovation to drive economic growth and positive change.
“We’ve always been committed to creating opportunities for businesses to connect, collaborate and access the support they need to succeed. Being shortlisted for Outstanding Startup Support reinforces the importance of that mission and celebrates the collective achievements of everyone who has been part of the Venturefest South journey.”
Founded as a not-for-profit innovation platform, Venturefest South delivers year-round support for entrepreneurs and innovators through events, networking opportunities, showcase programmes and strategic partnerships. In 2026, the organisation celebrates its tenth anniversary, marking a decade of helping innovative businesses move from first spark to full scale.
The Hustle Awards shortlist recognition follows a period of significant growth for Venturefest South and further strengthens its position as one of the UK’s leading regional innovation ecosystems.
