More than 310 new businesses have been spun out of 37 UK universities over the past three years, according to a survey by FirstStage Capital, the corporate finance house.

The figures emerge as venture capitalists, attempting to recover from the internet bust last year, look more actively at UK universities as a key source of intellectual property, said FirstStage Capital. The number of new university spin-offs is reflected by investor demand for companies with strong competitive advantage from defensible intellectual property rights.