Welcome to the May 2026 edition of Vikela’s monthly technology and business development newsletter.
May has been another busy and exciting month for Vikela, with strong progress across production, customer engagement and new partnership opportunities. Following the momentum from recent events and industry conversations, the team has continued to focus on scaling our APIS product range, building relationships with new customers, and strengthening existing partnerships as we move into the next stage of growth.
We hope you enjoy catching up on our latest updates from across the business. 🚀👏
Vikela Attends UK Private Capital Dinner in Belfast
Vikela was pleased to attend the Annual UK Private Capital Dinner in Belfast. The event brought together leaders, investors and businesses from across the private capital and investment community, providing a valuable opportunity to connect, build relationships and discuss Northern Ireland’s growing role as a destination for innovation and investment.
As part of the wider UK Private Capital events taking place in Belfast, the Northern Ireland Invest Forum was also held earlier that afternoon. This half-day policy and networking forum explored key themes including Belfast’s growing Tech and AI ecosystem, as well as how Northern Ireland can continue to strengthen its position as a competitive partner for investment. We were pleased to engage with these important conversations as Vikela continues to grow, innovate and represent Northern Ireland’s advanced manufacturing sector.
Go Big or Go Home Entrepreneur Event
We also attended the “Go Big or Go Home” entrepreneur event, held at Ulster Bank’s city centre headquarters. Organised by Belfast Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Belfast City Council, Clarendon Fund Managers and Ulster Bank, the event brought together entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders for an evening focused on growth, ambition and scaling companies. Keynote speaker Nick Boyle, co-founder of Lightsource, one of the world’s leading solar energy developers, shared his experience of building the business from the ground up and reflected on how some of the biggest opportunities in business can emerge from turbulent or uncertain situations.
Hearing Nick Boyle’s story was genuinely inspiring, particularly his message around embracing uncertainty and viewing setbacks as potential turning points rather than barriers. Lightsource was acquired by BP in a multi-million pound deal in 2024, and his journey offered valuable insight into what it takes to scale a company internationally. The event also featured panel discussions covering the realities of startups, scale-ups and exits, as well as access to investment and international growth. For Vikela, it was another excellent opportunity to share and learn from experienced entrepreneurs, connect with the wider business ecosystem and reflect on the next stages of our own growth journey.
British Business Awards
We recently attended the British Business Awards, held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Sponsored by NatWest, the event brought together up to 2,000 business leaders from across the UK, with 150 shortlisted companies recognised across a wide range of categories. It was a fantastic evening celebrating ambition, innovation and business success, while also creating space for meaningful networking and relationship-building. A special highlight of the evening was an appearance from George Clooney, with the event raising almost £2 million for Social Bite, an Edinburgh-based charity supporting people experiencing homelessness through free food services, employment programmes and purpose-built housing villages.
For Vikela, the British Business Awards was a brilliant opportunity to engage with other ambitious businesses. Events like this are a valuable reminder of the strength of the wider UK business community and the importance of building connections across sectors. It was great to meet other founders, business leaders and partners, share conversations around growth and innovation, and represent Vikela as we continue to develop our presence within the advanced manufacturing and protective equipment sectors.
In Other News
Production
It has also been a very busy period for Vikela as we continue production activity across our APIS product range. With growing interest in our protective solutions, the team has been focused on progressing production, supporting customer requirements and preparing for the next stages of delivery.
Industry Engagement
Alongside this, we have been actively engaging with new customers while continuing to build on our existing relationships. These conversations are helping us push forward new and exciting partnership opportunities across the security and protective equipment sectors, as we continue to grow Vikela’s presence and bring our innovative armour solutions to the market.
Thank you for reading our latest newsletter — we’re looking forward to bringing you more updates over the coming months. As always, feel free to get in touch if you’d like to book a chat or have any questions. If you know someone we should be speaking to, we’d always appreciate an introduction.
Look out for our next newsletter at the end of June, and have a great month in the meantime.
The Vikela Team 👋
