By Nick Sturge, centre director, SETsquared and Vice-chair, High-Tech Sector Group, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership Having worked with nearly 300 high-tech start-up businesses – some for just an hour, some for several years – and having done a start-up myself, I've watched, very carefully, how leadership develops and evolves over the life...
Eleven Wiltshire firms have received grant funding worth a total of £348,000 from the the county's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to spur their growth and boost employment. According to the Swindon & Wiltshire LEP, the funding – the second round of its Gateway for Growth grant scheme – will inject £10m into the local...
Café group Friska, which was launched by two University of Bath graduates, has been named as one of the UK’s 50 fastest-growing and innovative businesses. Economics graduates Griff Holland and Ed Brown started Friska in 2009 in Bristol and it has since grown from one to four restaurants around the city, including at the...
A new fund focusing on investing in the Bath area’s early stage tech businesses is to be launched by Technology Venture Partners, a new independent venture capital fund manager based in the region. Technology Venture Partners is to start the fund to run alongside YFM Equity Partners’ closed South West Ventures Fund, which it...
West food businesses must embrace innovation and explore new markets for export if they are to succeed, a major conference was told. The topics formed the two key themes at the Future of Food event staged by accountants Smith & Williamson at yogurt maker Yeo Valley’s headquarters in Blagdon, near Bristol. Food production is...
Industrial Phycology, the innovative Bath firm that recently won a major national business competition, has been awarded a coveted place on one of the world’s most prestigious accelerator programmes and the chance to break into the lucrative US market. The firm, based at Bath’s SETsquared innovation hub, is taking part in MIT’s (Massachusetts Institute...
The Pitch, one of the UK’s longest-running competitions for small business owners, has opened for applications for the seventh year. Founded in by West-based BusinessZone.co.uk and UK Business Forums, it has helped thousands of entrepreneurs secure top-class business support and access to investors. Having been launched as a local event in the city, it...
Invest Bristol & Bath, the inward investment body for the West of England, has helped 30 companies locate or expand in the area in its first year of operation. These businesses, from a mix of sectors including creative, low carbon, hi-tech, and advanced engineering and aerospace, have the potential to create more than 530...
The West of England’s food and drink businesses are increasingly upbeat about their prospects despite concerns over the price of raw materials and energy and the impact of this winter’s floods. Most also believe that being based in this region is a major plus, according to a new survey. The research by leading business...
BGF, the independent company established to help Britain’s growing businesses, has promoted two members of its West-based investment team. Ned Dorbin has been promoted to investment director and Edwin Davies to investment manager. The BGF investment team in Bristol, which covers the South West of England and South Wales and is led by regional director...
