Innovators
from the North of England descended on London yesterday
(Tuesday 05th March) to pitch their businesses to a roomful of
heavy-weight investors.
Representing
some of the North’s best entrepreneurs and innovators, a total of 22 businesses
formed part of the hand-picked delegation to
take part in Entrepreneurs of the North.
Organised
by the Innovation SuperNetwork in partnership
with the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) and British Business Bank, the
event offered ambitious Northern companies the opportunity to travel to London
and meet investors who were proactively looking to expand their portfolios.
The businesses, which are based across the North East, North West and Yorkshire regions, covered a variety of sectors and sizes from life sciences and healthcare to manufacturing, digital, and food & drink.
Newcastle-based ageing health pioneers Nuchido have
developed science-based rejuvenation products, which translate recent
breakthroughs into evidence-based supplements that promote healthy ageing.
Nuchido attended the event to support the launch their latest supplement in the
US and UK markets.
Sunderland-based Geek Talent are helping to actively close the skills gap between employers and education, while enabling businesses to attract, retain and develop their people through their innovative subscription-based big data platform, ‘GoCareer Insights’. They are now looking to expand their team to increase sales, profile and in-house tech capabilities.
With ambition to grow the business within the UK and international soft-drinks market, York-based FITCH Brew Co is on a mission to challenge traditional perceptions of soft drinks. Attending the event to support the scale-up of the already successful business model – FITCH Brew’s locally-produced Cold Brew Coffee is set to unleash the potential of coffee.
High-level investors attended the bespoke event at NatWest’s London-base in the City. Businesses showcased their ideas, products and services via a round of quick-fire pitches before investors were then given the opportunity to network and follow-up potential leads at a business marketplace.
Mark and Meganne Houghton-Berry from the Astia Angels
network attended the event in both 2018 and 2019 and said: “We’re continuously
impressed by the quality of businesses brought together for this event. It provides an unmissable opportunity to meet
new and exciting individuals and business opportunities. Last year we met
several highly promising companies and were delighted to be able to support a
business to kick-start their growth journey. We very much hope to be able to
make more fruitful connections as a result of yesterday’s event.”
Entrepreneurs of the North,
which broadens access to finance to enable businesses to continue to develop
within the North, is one strand of the
Innovation SuperNetwork’s varied programme which supports regional businesses
to access the money they need to grow and innovate. Investors will be invited
to a range of events throughout the year including FinanceCamp North East,
which will take place on 22 May 2019 in Sunderland.
Simon
Green, CEO at the Innovation SuperNetwork, said: “For
the third year, Entrepreneurs of the North has brought together burgeoning
Northern businesses – who are genuinely disrupting the sectors they work in
with innovative products and services – together with equity investors who
could be the key to their continued business success.
“This is part of a wider programme of activity we’re
delivering in the coming year to give businesses across the whole of the North
of England greater access to the finance they need to scale and grow. We know
that investment levels in the North could be higher. The latest research from
Beauhurst suggests 47% of all investment goes to London-based firms, so there
is still a lot of work to do to ensure regional companies get in front of the
right investment opportunities.
“It’s our aim to improve the level of investment in
Northern businesses by creating tangible opportunities to bring start-ups and
growing companies together with investors.”
Jenny Tooth CEO at the UKBAA, said: “We know that
Southern-based investors have a real appetite for the work of regional
entrepreneurs and it’s important not only for the businesses themselves, but
for the investors that they get to see the breadth of innovative work taking
place outside of the golden triangle.
“Entrepreneurs of the North is a fantastic opportunity
to enable those new introductions and helps us achieve our aim of providing our
investment community with quality opportunities.”
Entrepreneurs
of the North is part of the wider Innovation SuperNetwork programme, developed
with around 50 partner organisations to support innovation in the North East.
The SuperNetwork is supported by the North East LEP, Innovate UK, Engie,
Northumbrian Water Group, and the North East BIC, with part funding from the
European Regional Development Fund.
