Gateway to growth

“Arma Karma is incredibly fun, it has a real start-up vibe.” Connor Warne is one of the many success stories of the Knowledge Gateway research and technology park at our Colchester Campus.

The history graduate joined award-winning InsurTech specialist Arma Karma through a graduate internship and is still enjoying working as its Senior Product Manager five years later. He says: “The team is small, but growing quickly and we want to maintain that friendly, good-natured atmosphere.”

Arma Karma was established by Essex graduates Ben Smyth and Chris Frogner to rethink the insurance industry, with the company one of the first to move into the Innovation Centre - one of the landmark buildings on the Knowledge Gateway - back in 2019.

Now the Innovation Centre, operated by sector leader Oxford Innovation, is a thriving hub for around 50 businesses.

It's also a home to the University's own business engagement team which connects companies, charities and other organisations to researchers, plus the Essex Startups team which develops the business ideas and entrepreneurial skills of Essex students and graduates.

Knowledge is power

Innovation Director at the Innovation Centre, Duncan Bird, also thinks something special has emerged at the Knowledge Gateway.

“It’s amazing how far we’ve come since opening nearly six years ago," he says. "We’re incredibly proud of the thriving community we’ve built at the Innovation Centre and of the role we play within the wider Knowledge Gateway and regional business ecosystem.

"The feedback we get from businesses who’ve made this their home is overwhelmingly positive - they value not just the space, but the support, connections, and energy that come with it.

“We’re home to everything from freshly founded startups to well-established firms, and what sets this place apart is how naturally collaboration happens.

"Whether it’s sharing advice over a coffee or making the most of our business support and networking opportunities.”

Constellation Marketing have been part of the Knowledge Gateway story from virtually the start.

Founder, Tom Broome, moved in when Parkside first opened and has been based at the Innovation Centre since 2023. A well-established marketing agency working across the East, Constellation works with B2Bs, public sector and higher education, and tech businesses.

Combining creativity and strategy, the team specialise in branding, content, web, and design services.

The company has benefited from links with the University, recruiting graduates and offering internships and work experience opportunities to students, while also valuing the networking opportunities provided by the innovation Centre.

Dr Jessica Houlihan, Head of Content, completed her PhD in Literature at Essex. She said: “I’ve been part of the Constellation team for five years now. I’m very lucky to have found a job that combines my skills as a researcher and a writer and offers so much variety day-to-day.

"Being based at the Knowledge Gateway has helped me to build my professional network and skills. I also love that I’m still very connected to the University that shaped me into the person I am today.”