Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE), the UK’s challenger market, announced on Tuesday the inaugural cohort of the Aquis IPO Academy, described as the UK’s only public markets readiness programme run by an exchange.
In partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, the initiative draws on expertise from Barclays and SIX, which acquired Aquis in 2025, combining domestic scale-up knowledge with SIX’s European IPO Academy experience.
The first cohort is said to include more than 25 UK growth companies, half of which are founded by women, fulfilling the Academy’s stated ambition of achieving 50% female-founded participation.
Aquis noted that female-founded businesses have accounted for only around 7% of UK high-growth IPOs since 2011, a gap the programme aims to narrow. Participating women-led firms span apparel, food and drink, health, IT, medtech and data platforms.
The cohort also reflects a focus on technology-enabled sectors, with companies operating in AI, fintech, robotics, cyber and enterprise software. Notable participants include Archax, GetHarley, Simudyne, Cheeky Panda and Stripe & Stare.
The six-month programme is expected to formally launch later this month, offering companies access to investors, funding advice, pitch development, mentoring on finance, governance and regulation, plus a structured pathway toward AQSE listing segments, including discounted admission fees.
David Stevens, CEO of Aquis, said the launch demonstrated the UK’s depth of ambitious growth businesses and reinforced the exchange’s commitment to diversifying the pipeline of future public companies. Barclays’ Abdul Qureshi added that the programme would help founders better understand their growth and listing options.
