Case study

How SETsquared Partnership leverages Hivebrite to connect its university-affiliated startups with investors and opportunities

The UK-based university business incubator created its Innovation Platform on Hivebrite to connect its startups with funding and networking opportunities.

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“I think Hivebrite is a really intuitive platform. And the product team are so responsive. I get the impression they work really fast to bring in new features when you give them feedback. It’s nice to have a bit of a working relationship with the Hivebrite team, rather than a customer-sales relationship.”

Lydia Green
Innovation Manager, SETsquared Partnership

1500+

Users including over 1,000 companies

65%

Activation rate for incubator-affiliated companies

10

Sub-groups to deliver targeted content and programming

About SETsquared

SETsquared is a unique enterprise partnership and a dynamic collaboration between the six leading research-led UK universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. As a world-leading business incubator, they provide a wide range of highly acclaimed support programmes to help turn ideas into thriving businesses.

Since launching in 2002, SETsquared have supported over 5,000 entrepreneurs helping them raise £4.4bn investment.

Independent research carried out by Warwick Economics has estimated the economic impact of SETsquared-supported companies to be £15.7bn, with the creation of 15,600 jobs.

Mission

SETsquared’s mission is to turn innovation into thriving business and drive economic growth within their regions and across the UK. They aim to maximise the impact of the combined research portfolios of the six university partners for social and economic benefit and to provide support to academics, students and local businesses to instill an entrepreneurial spirit across their regions.

Visit the community

The SETsquared innovation platform is an online space to build connections and discover exclusive events and investment/funding opportunities.

GlobalWelsh has been using Hivebrite since 2022. They chose Hivebrite as their solution to advance their mission of building an Innovation Platform – a fast-growing community of UK companies and sector experts, funders and investors at the forefront of digital, scientific, and technological innovation.

The community challenge

Post 2020, the professional landscape underwent a significant shift, with virtual engagement rapidly becoming a core component of how people connect, collaborate, and build communities. SETsquared recognized that this transformation was not a temporary adjustment but a long-term evolution in how support and innovation ecosystems would operate. As a result, they set out to reimagine their approach to engagement, ensuring that their platform could meet the changing expectations of members, partners, and entrepreneurs in an increasingly digital-first world.

Understanding the importance of sustained relationships and shared knowledge, SETsquared aimed to create an environment where meaningful connections could flourish—regardless of physical location. They envisioned a space where participating businesses could seamlessly network with one another, exchange insights, and form lasting partnerships. Just as importantly, they wanted to maintain strong ties with alumni, enabling past participants to stay involved, mentor newer members, and contribute to the broader innovation community.

By investing in a robust and user-friendly online platform, SETsquared positioned itself to not only adapt to the evolving future of work but also to strengthen the collaborative fabric of its ecosystem. The ability to facilitate dynamic online events, foster curated connections, and maintain an ongoing dialogue across cohorts has allowed SETsquared to deepen its impact and continue supporting high-growth ventures across the UK and beyond.

“We were the gatekeepers, to some extent. People had to come to us to access connections. We wanted to add more value to our membership and build closer relationships with the companies in our network. “

Lydia Green
Community Manager, SETsquared Partnership

Hivebrite’s full-stack community platform enabled SETsquared Partnership to:

Facilitate organic connections

Foster independent sub-communities to enable connections while maintaining institutional governance

Create a repository of knowledge

Build a centralized knowledge hub that leverages member expertise

Encourage collaboration and innovation

Facilitate partnerships and networks to drive industry advancement and promote innovation

Gather data and insights

Monitor user behavior, engagement metrics, and content performance to measure the impact of initiatives

The Hivebrite solution

SETsquared built its digital community on Hivebrite and launched in 2022.

They chose the platform in part for its user-friendliness. “What we do is quite niche, because we have so many different audiences,” says Lydia. “We’ve got investors, we’ve got academics, we’ve got startups, we’ve got business support providers. We needed something that made sense for everyone.”

Customization of the Hivebrite platform was also a huge draw. “It was really important to me that it was customizable and that we could design our own pages,” says Lydia. “A lot of competitors we looked at were very informal looking, and clearly meant for social groups. Hivebrite allowed us to make a professional-looking, work-oriented community.” The platform makes it easy for all members of its community to connect with one another. “The platform essentially democratized connections,” says Lydia. “People can now go in and create a connection themselves.”

Key features designed for nonprofits

Member Directory & Profile

Connect donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries, fostering global member engagement and a stronger community.

Events and ticketing

Host virtual and IRL events with RSVP, paid ticketing, and QR codes. Enhance experiences and encourage participation.

Groups and sub-communities

Manage chapters, committees, and interest groups while empowering leaders to run spaces independently. 

News, content, and resources

A centralized hub for mission updates, media, and impact stories to keep your community informed and engaged.

Jobs and opportunities

Promote jobs, internships, and volunteer roles with a flexible board. Workflows and alerts help spread opportunities.

Email & campaign builder

Reach donors, volunteers, and stakeholders with personalized emails and campaigns—no technical skills needed.

Multi-language & live translation

Expand your global reach by breaking down language barriers and enabling members to engage in their preferred language.

The outcome

Today, SETsquared uses its community platform as a vehicle for several programs. For example, for one partner program, applicants apply for funding through the platform. The organization has also run two investor showcases in its community, where companies apply and then pitch to investors.

“I found that once there was a bit of momentum and there was content being generated consistently, the platform snowballed.”

Lydia Green
Innovation Manager, SETsquared Partnership