SCALING WITHOUT SLOWDOWN: HOW SOLVE CHEMISTRY IS ACCELERATING AT SCALE SPACE
In this guest blog, Scale Space profiles White City Innovation District’s SOLVE Chemistry, and explores how the team is successfully scaling its growth as part of the Scale Space community. This ambitious Imperial College London spin-out is harnessing machine learning and real-world data to optimise key chemical manufacturing processes – making them more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable. Driving this world-class team is a single powerful idea: that improving efficiency and reducing risk can help lower the cost of vital products, from pharmaceuticals to agrochemicals, while driving innovation and setting a new standard for sustainability.
When we sat down with Linden, Founder of SOLVE Chemistry, it was clear from the start that this was a company on the move. SOLVE is a fast-growing scale-up born out of Imperial College London with a bold mission to enable large chemical companies to build more efficient and sustainable chemical processes.
“We’re trying to solve scaleup in the chemical industries,” Linden tells us. “When someone discovers a new compound, it can take decades for that innovation to reach the market. We want to change that by connecting data, process, and decision-making in one continuous flow.”
SOLVE’s journey began in Imperial’s Molecular Science Research Hub, where Linden completed his PhD before spinning the company out. After raising a pre-seed round, he and his team started building technology and partnerships with major industry players. It was an exciting time, but they quickly needed a space that could match their pace.
“Everyone we spoke to who had moved to Scale Space said the same thing: you can just do things faster here,” Linden explains. “The setup, the flexibility, the lack of red tape, that’s exactly what we needed. For us, time is the most valuable thing. Losing weeks to process or bureaucracy just isn’t an option.”
SOLVE moved into Scale Space in early 2025 and immediately began to grow. Within months, they had outgrown their first lab and were already planning their next expansion. “We could expand without slowing down,” Linden says. “There’s structure here, but it still feels startup-y. If we need something built, changed, or installed, the team says, ‘let’s get that done.’ There’s no waiting around.”
That mindset, paired with the backing of Imperial, made Scale Space the perfect base. “One of the biggest reasons we wanted to be here was to stay close to the Imperial community. The talent pipeline is incredible,” Linden tells us.
Through the Imperial White City Internship Fund, SOLVE has brought in students from the Imperial College Business School and the Faculty of Engineering, several of whom are now full-time employees. “It de-risks hiring,” Linden says. “You get bright, capable people who already understand your world. They grow with you.”
Proximity to Imperial also keeps collaboration alive. “We still co-supervise postdocs, share ideas, and even share equipment. Being just across the road makes it easy. It’s not just about the facilities; it’s about the relationships that make everything move faster.”
Speed and flexibility are important, but community is what keeps companies here long term. “We’ve borrowed tools, shared equipment, compared notes on suppliers. It’s a friendly environment,” Linden says. “There’s a lot of cross-pollination between companies, even if we’re in completely different industries. Everyone’s solving something, and that creates a real sense of shared momentum.”
That community also shows up outside the lab. “We love Ale Space Thursdays,” Linden smiles. “Themed socials with great food and drinks, like the jerk chicken and Piña Colada night, were a highlight for us. We know most of the people on our floor, and that makes the day-to-day experience better. You feel like you’re part of something bigger.”
It’s exactly what we want Scale Space to be: a place where serious science and business growth meet a genuine sense of community and fun.
For SOLVE, the next phase of growth is already in motion. “We’re eyeing up the lab next door,” Linden laughs. “There’s space to grow here, and that’s a rare thing in London. We can expand step by step, without disrupting what we’ve built.”
That balance of flexibility and stability is part of what makes Scale Space unique. “When you’re in a startup, things change every week,” Linden says. “You need a space that can adapt to that. Scale Space gets it. The facilities team move fast, the support team understand our challenges, and it all just works. That means we can focus on what really matters: solving problems and growing our business.”
SOLVE’s team continues to be part of the wider campus story too. From hosting tours for government and industry visitors to engaging in events across the Imperial ecosystem, they are helping shape the next wave of innovation on site. “We want to pay it forward,” Linden adds. “We’ve had so much support from the community here. If we can help other founders move faster or avoid the roadblocks we hit early on, that’s a win for everyone.”
At Scale Space, that’s exactly what we like to see. Our mission has always been to create a home for scaleups that want to grow quickly and confidently while being part of something collaborative and exciting.
As Linden puts it, “We’ll be here for a while. There’s room to expand, the community’s strong, and the team here just gets it. Scale Space moves as fast as we do, and that’s rare.”
We think that sums it up perfectly. SOLVE’s story is one of smart science, real-world impact, and the power of the right environment. And we’re proud to be part of that journey.
Looking for lab space? Reach out to Scale Space at hello@scalespace.co.uk to find out more or book a tour.