Aquis Stock Exchange, the UK’s challenger market, has launched The Aquis IPO Academy in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, one of the UK’s largest incubator networks for startup and scaleup business.

The Aquis IPO Academy is the UK’s only public markets readiness programme led by an exchange. The Academy is a long-term investment in the UK’s growth economy at a pivotal time for scaling businesses and aims to act as an engine for IPO activity while addressing a perception gap around accessing public markets.

Open to UK growth companies, with a focus on tech-enabled businesses and an ambition of 50% female-founded participation, the first cohort is expected to join the Academy in September 2026.