Innovators from the North of England leveraged the power of events in London recently to pitch their businesses to a roomful of heavyweight investors.
A 30-strong delegation took part in the Entrepreneurs of the North event on 21 February.
The meeting, organised by the North East Innovation SuperNetwork and supported by UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) and British Business Bank, offered ambitious Northern companies the opportunity to travel to London and meet investors who were proactively looking to expand their portfolios.
Over 80 investors attended the bespoke event at the Bank of England’s London HQ.
There were quick-fire 60-second pitches and a marketplace networking opportunity – all in the space of one afternoon.
James Foster, Investment Lead at ADV, said: “We’re a patient venture investor looking for companies that are building potentially industry defining tech. At the seed stage, founders get support from angels, incubators, accelerators, their peers and the ecosystem itself. Events like this are a fantastic way of bringing those networks together to create a diverse room of entrepreneurs and investors looking to work with each other. It’s great for ADV to be part of this and hopefully we’ll build some meaningful connections.”
The businesses, which are based across the North East, Tees Valley, North West and Yorkshire regions, covered a variety of sectors and sizes. These included mobile messaging for healthcare, sales performance software, a mobile dating app, business intranet solutions, renewable energy, medical devices and sports data analytics.
Sukh Ryatt, MD at Oak Intranet, Gateshead-based intranet specialists who are innovating the way business uses cloud technology to connect; said: “Cloud technology has opened-up the way we all do business and we’re excited to enter a new chapter as we tackle the wealth of opportunity offered by the cloud. Entrepreneurs of the North is a great opportunity to present our ideas for driving forward our business to investors that are genuinely interested in seeking out the next innovative business opportunity.”
Kevin Beales, CEO at Newcastle-based Refract, said: “Entrepreneurs of the North was a fantastic opportunity for us to get in front of a room of angels that could be a great fit for our business, not only providing potential further investment but add value to what we offer as a business.”
Lloyd Lawson, business development director at Durham-based Engenera Renewables, added: “Entrepreneurs of the North presented us with a ‘one-stop’ chance to connect with potential investors, and start conversations we hope to be able to explore in more detail to secure the funding we need to take our business to the next stage of development.”
Simon Green, CEO at event organiser, Innovation SuperNetwork, said: “Entrepreneurs of the North gives businesses an additional opportunity to unlock investment by bringing together high-calibre, growing Northern businesses with active investors from the South. It has been a fantastic opportunity to enable those new introductions and to showcase the diverse Northern businesses that are disrupting their sectors.”
Lea Paterson, the Bank of England’s director of independent evaluation said the Bank was “really pleased to have been able to play a small role by hosting the event and wishes the businesses and investors who took part every success.”
The event is one strand of the North East Innovation SuperNetwork’s wide and varied programme which supports North East businesses to access the money they need to grow and innovate within the region. Investors will be invited to a range of events throughout the year including FinanceCamp North East, which is due to take place this summer.
The SuperNetwork is supported by the North East LEP, Innovate UK, Engie, Northumbrian Water Group, Reece Innovation and the North East BIC, with part funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Photo caption: L-R James Foster (ADV), Simon Green (Innovation SuperNetwork), Chris Nriapia (SentrySIS), Matt Hulbert (Ojee Golf) Kevin Beals (Refract), Lloyd Lawson (Engenera), Amanda Lyne (ULEMCo), Jamie Rawsthorne (UniChat)