Start-Up Spotlight: Welsh ICE

At Visiativ, we’re committed to helping start-ups and early-stage businesses turn ideas into successful products by giving them access to the right software, expertise and support. With a Visiativ office in Wales, we’re also keen to play an active role in supporting the country’s growing community of entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators.

That’s why we’ve partnered with the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise, better known as Welsh ICE, a community of entrepreneurs, freelancers and growing businesses, supported by a team that’s passionate about making entrepreneurship more accessible.

From their hub in Caerphilly and through programmes delivered across Wales, Welsh ICE provide practical business support, training, mentoring, coworking and opportunities for founders to build valuable connections. Their mission is to give people the confidence, skills and support they need to start, grow and prosper.

We sat down with Welsh ICE’s Marketing and Outreach Manager, Ben Glover, to discuss the partnership and how Visiativ’s SOLIDWORKS for Start-Ups Scheme is helping their community.

Hi Ben! Tell us about Welsh ICE

Ben: “Welsh ICE support people at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from someone exploring an idea or side hustle to an established business preparing for its next phase of growth.

“Our role is to make business support approachable and practical. That might mean helping somebody test an idea, develop their business model, improve their pitch, connect with specialist expertise or simply find a supportive community of people facing similar challenges.

“We also work with partners across Wales to create programmes and opportunities that respond to the needs of different communities, sectors and stages of business growth.”

The Visiativ and Welsh ICE partnership

Ben: “The partnership developed from a shared interest in supporting innovative founders and helping early-stage businesses turn promising ideas into viable products.

“We recognised that our organisations bring complementary strengths. Welsh ICE provides access to an engaged founder community, business support and practical coaching, while Visiativ brings specialist product-development knowledge, technology and technical expertise. Bringing those strengths together creates a valuable pathway for innovation-led businesses in Wales.

“Visiativ is a strong fit because its support addresses a very real challenge for product-based start-ups. Developing, testing and preparing a physical product for manufacture can require specialist software and knowledge that may otherwise be difficult for an early-stage business to access.

“Through the SOLIDWORKS for Start-ups Scheme, eligible founders can access professional design and development tools, with full technical support, at no cost for the first year. This reduces some of the cost and risk involved in early product development and allows founders to test, refine and communicate their ideas more effectively.

“We share a commitment to innovation, practical support and long-term business growth. We also recognise that founders benefit most when they have access to the right combination of tools, expertise, encouragement and connections, rather than having to navigate each part of the journey alone.”

Working together

Ben: “Our partnership with Visiativ expands the specialist support available to our community, particularly for inventors, designers, engineers and founders developing physical products.

“It gives Welsh ICE businesses a clearer route to technical expertise and professional design tools, while giving them opportunities to improve their applications and pitches, showcase their work and connect with people who understand the product-development process.

“For Welsh ICE, it also strengthens our ability to support a broader range of ambitious and innovation-led businesses.

“An exciting early focus of the partnership is the Welsh ICE and Visiativ start-up initiative for inventors, product founders and innovation-led entrepreneurs.

“This includes a workshop planned for 2nd September 2026, followed by a pitch event on 16th September. Welsh ICE is supporting the initiative through promotion, application management and pitch coaching, as well as providing a welcoming space in which founders can develop their ideas, meet experts and present their businesses. You can take a look at our upcoming events here.

“Visiativ joined us for our recent ‘Meet the Experts’ sessions, which matches businesses with individuals that require support in our Caerphilly hub. Several businesses that attended have already signed up to the scheme and are now benefitting from free CAD software and support, which is fantastic.

“Visiativ adds a layer of specialist technical knowledge that complements the business and community support already available through Welsh ICE.

“They can help founders better understand how professional design, simulation and product-development tools can support their journey from concept to manufacture. Just as importantly, Visiativ can offer practical guidance, training and connections that help make those tools useful and accessible to an early-stage business.”

Supporting Welsh businesses

Ben: “No single organisation can provide everything a growing business needs. Meaningful collaboration allows us to combine different areas of expertise and create a more joined-up support system for founders.

“For businesses in Wales, this means fewer barriers to finding the right help and stronger connections between entrepreneurial communities and specialist industries. It also helps retain promising ideas and talent in Wales by giving founders access to high-quality support closer to home.

“The partnership creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to access professional technology, technical guidance, training, pitch support and greater visibility.

“It can help founders develop stronger products, make more informed decisions and communicate their ideas with greater confidence. It also creates new connections between Welsh businesses, technical specialists and a wider network of designers, engineers and innovators.”

Looking ahead

We hope to build a long-term partnership that provides a consistent pathway of support for product-based and innovation-led businesses across Wales.

There’s real potential to develop further workshops, expert sessions, founder showcases and opportunities for businesses to access specialist guidance. We would also like to share the stories of the founders supported through the partnership, helping to demonstrate the quality and ambition of the innovation taking place in Wales.

We’re particularly excited about the upcoming workshop and pitch event in September. These activities will give founders the opportunity to strengthen their ideas, receive expert input and present their businesses in a supportive environment.

We’re also looking forward to seeing the relationships and future opportunities that develop from bringing the Welsh ICE and Visiativ communities together.

For us, this collaboration is about more than access to software. It’s about creating a supportive pathway around the founder, connecting the right technology with practical advice, specialist expertise and an entrepreneurial community.

We’re excited to see what Welsh businesses create when those ingredients come together.

Find out more about Welsh ICE on our website.

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