Steampunk Ventures Dives Into the Future: Backing the Rebels Redefining Climate, Health, and Autonomy

Steampunk Ventures is officially joining forces with Tech South West’s Growth Forge Accelerator, but we’re not here just to talk about ships. We’re here to back the founders who are rewriting the rules of climate tech, health innovation, and autonomous systems, the ones who see a broken world and build the tools to fix it.

This isn’t just another partnership. It’s a full-throttle commitment to the startups that are turning crises into opportunities: from AI-driven climate solutions and next-gen health diagnostics to the autonomous systems that will power our oceans, cities, and supply chains. The Growth Forge, launched with Babcock International and the University of Plymouth, has already helped over 110 companies scale since 2024. Now, we’re adding our brand of high-octane capital, strategic rebellion, and a relentless focus on impact to the mix.

Why This Matters: The Convergence of Climate, Health, and Autonomy

1. Climate Tech: Where Urgency Meets Opportunity

The climate crisis isn’t waiting, and neither are we. The startups we’re backing aren’t just reducing emissions, they’re reinventing industries. In the Growth Forge cohort, we see founders building technologies like:

• An AI workforce platform that automates complex tasks, slashing operational carbon footprints while boosting productivity.
• Proximity technology that cuts energy waste in smart buildings, making sustainability seamless and cost-effective.
• Innovative solar and energy storage solutions that unlock cost savings and accelerate the transition to renewables.

The data doesn’t lie: Female-founded climate tech startups deliver 2.5x the returns of their peers, yet they receive just 2% of VC funding. We’re here to change that.

2. Health Innovation: Because the Future of Medicine Isn’t in a Lab, It’s in the Code

Healthcare is broken. But the fix isn’t just another pill, it’s AI-driven diagnostics, autonomous logistics for medical supply chains, and tech that puts patients in control. In the Growth Forge cohort, we see founders developing:

• AI infrastructure for service industries, ensuring faster, safer, and more efficient operations, critical for health and safety in homes and businesses.
• Autonomous logistics solutions that streamline supply chains, ensuring life-saving meds and equipment arrive faster, cheaper, and with a lower carbon footprint.

3. Marine Autonomy: The Ocean as the Ultimate Proving Ground

Yes, we’re still all in on marine autonomy, but not just for ships. The ocean is where climate, health, and autonomy collide. In the Growth Forge cohort, companies are tackling challenges like:

• Developing deployable maritime communications infrastructure enabling resilient and high-bandwidth connectivity at sea.
• Autonomous systems for uncrewed surface vessels to recharge and redeploy without human intervention. 
• Creating the world’s foremost extreme environment testing, training and research centres

Plymouth isn’t just a port, it’s the UK’s National Centre for Marine Autonomy and a hotbed for the startups that will define the next decade of ocean tech.

What’s Next?

The Growth Forge accelerator is in full swing, with in-person Growth Days at Exeter Science Park, the University of Plymouth, and Future Space at the University of the West of England. Founders in the program get:
✅ One-to-one mentoring from industry heavyweights.
✅ Access to growth tools that turn prototypes into scalable businesses.
✅ A direct line to investors—including us—who are hungry for the next big thing in climate, health, and autonomy.

Dan Pritchard, Co-Founder of Tech South West, puts it best: “When you bring together defence expertise, cutting-edge research, and investors who actually get it, you don’t just build companies, you build movements.”

About Steampunk Ventures

We’re not your average consultancy. We back the visionaries, the outsiders, and the ones crazy enough to think they can change the world – especially in climate tech, health innovation, and autonomous systems. We don’t just push paper – we roll up our sleeves, make introductions, and help our founders turn ambition into empire.

Ready to Make Waves?

For more on how Steampunk Ventures is shaping the future of climate, health, and autonomy, check out:

• Tech South West Growth Forge
• Steampunk Ventures

Let’s build the future—before it’s too late.