We're pleased to welcome Toby Bennett to the Akcela Ventures team.
Toby brings experience and energy to the incubator at a time when our portfolio is growing and the demand for startup support across Norfolk continues to increase. His addition strengthens our ability to work hands-on with founders — the kind of dedicated, weekly co-building that defines Akcela's incubation model.
Why team capacity matters
An incubator is only as good as the people in it. Not just the founders — the team supporting them. At Akcela, we don't advise from the sidelines. We work alongside our portfolio companies on the hard stuff: product-market fit, fundraising, go-to-market, and team building. That takes time, attention, and the right people.
This is what separates structured incubation from generic business support. A typical business adviser might meet a founder once a month for an hour. At Akcela, the team is in the building, working with companies week in, week out. That level of involvement requires capacity — and Toby's arrival means we can do more of that work, with more companies, without stretching thinner.
What Toby works on
Toby works across the portfolio, supporting founders on the practical, day-to-day challenges of building a company from the ground up. That includes research and competitive analysis, workshop preparation and delivery, operational support during the structured phases of incubation, and the behind-the-scenes coordination that keeps the programme running smoothly.
He's also closely involved with the pipeline from the Future Tech Programme into full incubation — helping identify which programme participants are ready to take the next step and commit to building a company full-time.
Growing to meet demand
Norwich's startup ecosystem is maturing. More founders are coming through the door — from the Future Tech Programme, from SyncNorwich events, from word of mouth within the Norwich startup community. The quality and ambition of the companies we're seeing has stepped up significantly.
The numbers reflect this growth. Across the programme, Akcela and the Future Tech Programme have supported 79 businesses. Portfolio companies have raised over £2.2 million in investment and secured more than £435,000 in grant funding. The pipeline of early-stage founders entering the ecosystem continues to grow — which means the team needs to grow with it.
Growing the team is how we meet that demand without compromising on the hands-on support that makes Akcela different. Every company in the portfolio deserves the same level of attention and co-building — and bringing Toby on board ensures we can deliver that as the portfolio expands.
The Akcela team today
With Toby on board, the Akcela team includes James Adams (Managing Partner), Tom Wood (Partner, Foolproof co-founder), Peter Ballard (Partner, Foolproof co-founder), Kate Yarbo (Partner), Anna Barney, and Toby Bennett. Between them, the partners have started, scaled, and sold companies across EdTech, UX design, healthcare, and more — giving founders in the incubator access to experience that's genuinely rare in the regional ecosystem.
If you want to work with the team, apply to the programme or get in touch. You can also learn more about what a business incubator does or read about angel investment in Norwich.
Welcome, Toby.
