INSIGHTS / News

Save the date: 27th November

Time: 9am – 4pm

Where: Church House Conference Centre, Westminster

RSVP: [email protected]

 

More than 50 of the UK’s most exciting tech companies are exhibiting at SETsquared’s 10th anniversary Accelerating Growth Showcase in London on November 27.

 

The UK’s largest investor showcase, the event will see 21 leading-edge companies from the SETsquared business incubators, based at five English universities, pitch for more than £13m of investment.

 

A further 32 companies previously supported by SETsquared, representing the cream of the UK’s latest crop of cutting edge businesses, along with some emerging technologies from the five Universities’ research base, will be exhibiting their innovations in an unmissable technology showcase.

 

The landmark event will also see a panel of leading industry figures, including Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, debate the support required for UK tech start-ups to turn them into tomorrow’s Apple or IBM.

 

The Accelerating Growth Showcase marks the tenth anniversary of the SETsquared Partnership, the enterprise collaboration between five of the leading UK research universities – Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey – designed to develop new businesses from university research and support early-stage technology companies with high growth potential.

 

Over this time, the partnership has incubated more than 1,000 technology companies, which have attracted around £1 billion of investment, making a major contribution to the growth of UK PLC and creating a significant number of high-value jobs.

 

Among the 21 new technology businesses looking for investment is a cyclist detection system for public transport, a radical new tactile electronic musical instrument and a carbon-fibre specialist firm that can make a weight-saving gearbox out of the advanced material.

 

Other companies will be pitching business models capitalising on areas such as cloud computing, social media and mobile applications. As well companies at the bleeding-edge of global sectors like wireless semiconductors seeking multi-million investments, there are businesses with exciting new environmentally sound approaches to sewage treatment and abattoir waste looking for investors to back their development.

 

With representatives of giants like Intel, Scottish Equity Partners and Qualcomm Ventures Europe already signed up to attend, investors are keen to see the pre-screened deal flow SETsquared is supporting.

 

SETsquared Partnership Director Graham Harrison said: “This event showcases some of the UK’s most exciting emerging businesses and pioneering technology as well as companies who are already making a significant contribution to the UK’s economy.”

 

“While some of these are small businesses today, they hold huge promise, which is why we have always had such strong interest from global investors.”

 

“Businesses that have appeared at our Investment Showcase in the past 10 years have gone on to float, secure significant trade sales and deliver rapid growth with strong exports. It demonstrates the important role SETsquared and the five Universities are able to play within the UK economy. Companies we have previously supported that are part of our Accelerating Growth Showcase this year highlight the value to be gained from such support. The businesses we are helping to grow today are the potential stars of tomorrow and will make a vital contribution to the UK’s future prosperity.” 

 

For more information about the technology on display, or to book a place, contact [email protected] or ring 023 8023 8001.