Digital retail start-up incubator Haatch has been given the go ahead to start work on a five-floor hub in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

Haatch, set up by former Kiddicare director Scott Weavers-Wright, has been working with the local council regarding planning permission to transform a derelict building. The team has been through 20 iterations of designs.

Haatch invests in digital start-ups in the retail, mobile and social space. The building will host the businesses along with college graduates and Prince’s Trust members.

Fred Soneya, co-founder of Haatch, said “This is a massive milestone and I’m looking forward to starting the development. Stamford provides the perfect backdrop to a create digital hub which will have a true start-up atmosphere outside of London. We hope to see some of the thousands of commuters who travel to London every day spend time in the building.”

Launched in September 2013, Haatch has made six investments including Iterate Studio, a retail R&D lab in the US. Iterate works with retailers to run fast, agile proof-of-concepts.