ABOUT
EXCHANGE
As one of the UK’s leading tech accelerators Exchange is dedicated to helping businesses scale and succeed by providing critical resources, coaching and a collaborative community.
SUPPORTING THE TECH & DIGITAL INDUSTRY
The Exchange Programme supports ambitious tech, digital, and creative businesses by giving them access to the tools, knowledge, and community they need to scale and succeed. The Programme fosters a lasting, collaborative network of forward-thinking entrepreneurs, driving innovation and sustainable growth.
MISSION
Exchange is an award-winning independent accelerator programme designed to support early-stage and scaling businesses in the tech, media, and creative industries. Established in July 2020 as part of St. John’s, Exchange fosters innovation, collaboration, and business growth by providing access to an ecosystem of industry leaders, mentors, and state-of-the-art workspaces.
The programme was founded with the ambition of creating and sustaining 2,000 jobs over 15 years. To date, Exchange has already facilitated the creation of 1,300 jobs, achieving over half of its target in less than a third of the timeframe. Its success is evident in its role as a cornerstone of Manchester’s innovation economy, providing a critical launchpad for emerging enterprises.
With the expansion into Campfield Exchange, the initiative aims to broaden its scope by offering ‘grow-on’ space for businesses at varying stages of maturity. This allows Exchange to cater to both start-ups and growth-stage companies, ensuring they receive the necessary support to scale and succeed in Manchester’s thriving digital economy.
The Campfield Exchange mission is to create 1,600 new jobs and sustain 2,400 existing jobs over the next 15 years, contributing to a combined output of 3,600 jobs created and 2,400 sustained.
Exchange provides a structured 6–12 month accelerator programme, tailored to the needs of start-ups and scale-ups, offering a combination of mentorship, networking, workspace, and investment support to drive business success.
1,080
INDIVIDUALS
across over 272 businesses
347
JOBS
Within five years 347 jobs have been created whilst on the programme.
1,300
JOBS
Exchange alumni have gone on to create 1,300 jobs.
£20.2
MILLION
Businesses have raised over £20m funding during their time on the programme.
£78.1+
MILLION
Our alumni have gone on to raise over £78.1m in funding.
TWO
LOCATIONS
Manchester / St. John’s
Leeds / Leeds Dock
OUR SUPPORT & KNOWLEDGE NETWORK INCLUDES:
35+ Mentors & advisers
18 Industry partners
14 Venture partners
WHY
EXCHANGE
We support businesses by providing the space, resources and connections they need to grow. This includes flexible workspace, access to wellness and social facilities, and support from a network of industry experts, venture partners, mentors and advisors.
We also run a varied programme of events, from hands-on workshops and upskilling sessions to talks led by experienced speakers.
At the heart of the programme is a collaborative community of ambitious entrepreneurs. As businesses develop, we continue to support them through ongoing access to space and community as part of our alumni offer.