NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The largest single endowment devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK, NESTA's mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. NESTA invests in early stage companies, informs innovation policy and encourages a culture that helps innovation to flourish.

NESTA believe that innovation – the successful exploitation of new ideas – is a national priority. Economic success and social progress depend greatly on a country's ability to encourage and bring new ideas to market. Solving the urgent social and environmental challenges of the 21st century will also require increasingly innovative solutions.

NESTA makes an impact in a number of ways. Establishing major partnerships with a diverse range of organisations, including: The Young Foundation, the Royal College of Art and the IP Group. NESTA have also supported a variety of talented people, including Emily Cummins (Technology Woman of the Future 2006), Gavin Douglas (Fashion Fringe winner 2006), and Nicholas Harrigan (NESTA FameLab winner 2007).

NESTA exists to find the most effective ways of encouraging talent and innovation for national benefit: developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes of the innovators of tomorrow; helping to shape national and regional policies that support and encourage innovation; creating models and initiatives to test and deliver best practice in innovation and funding and supporting innovative early-stage projects.