Top 50 UK law firm, HCR Law, is expanding its support for tech start-ups to the south west region for the first time in 2026.
HCR Law's Impact55 programme offers £55,000 of funded legal support to start-ups using technology to create positive social or environmental change.
Headquartered in Worcester, HCR Law has offices across the south and west of England and Wales – including an office in Cheltenham – and following two successful years of running the programme in Cambridge and East Anglia, it is now expanding its support to the south west for the first time, with the move reflecting the firm's 'commitment to supporting the business communities it serves'.
Providing one overall winner with £25,000 of support, and up to three runners up £10,000 each, the programme aims to help ambitious start-ups attract investment and scale their growth with specialist advice from its expert team.
Previous recipients include 2026 overall winner, biotechnology company CamGene Therapeutics, and runners up Nanoplume, which develops sustainable insulation; Cellexcel, which uses technology to strengthen natural materials by making them more water-resistant; and Serenatis Bio, which is developing new medication for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), who have used the support for everything from expanding into international markets, to setting up staff incentive schemes.
Partner and HCR Law's head of technology and information, Inger Anson, said: 'Impact55 was created to support founders using technology to tackle real-world social and environmental challenges. Over the past two years, we have seen some true innovation emerging from tech start-ups. Robust legal support and advice in the early stages of a start-up can protect founders and their ideas at key stages of their development and prepare them for growth and investment.
'We're excited to bring the programme to the south west, creating opportunities for even more businesses to access the support they need to develop, scale and maximise their impact.
'The businesses that have come through Impact55 have demonstrated how innovation can be a force for good and we look forward to discovering the next generation of founders who are using technology to make a positive difference.'
Applications for Impact55 are open now via the HCR Law website.
