Innovative Bath business talent comes to the fore today at Venturefest, the showcase event at the Bristol & Bath Science Park.
The event aims to bring together new technology and innovation-based business ideas with the funding and support they require to help them grow.
Core to Venturefest is the Innovation Showcase where new businesses will be demonstrating their innovative products and services. New entrepreneurs will also be perfecting their techniques in The Pitch at Venturefest.
Other highlights include keynote speeches by Paul Magelli, serial entrepreneur and founder of Bristol-based specialist software firm Apertio, sold recently to Nokia Siemens Networks, and Nigel Risner, author, television presenter, motivational speaker, and experienced business coach.
Among the businesses taking part is Poetiks, a Bath Spa University spin out company which produces novel software providing a new approach to helping students study poetry. The firm is a past winner of the university’s business plan competition.
An exhibition will bring delegates together with a wide range of business organisations whose activities are targeted at supporting the growth of technology businesses, including the SW iNets, business incubator unit SetSquared, law firm Veale Wasborough Vizards and Business West. Speakers in workshops also represent the South West investment community, including SWAIN and Bristol-based Eden Ventures.
Venturefest Bristol will also include an intellectual property (IP) clinic sponsored by IP law firm Withers and Rogers and patent and trademark attorneys EIP, a funding clinic run by Angels Den, and the Bite-sized MBA course delivered by Rupert Vernalls of Business Information.
To encourage businesses to be creative and innovative in their thinking at Venturefest 2011, organisers Science City Bristol have invited artists, performers and musicians to take part. As well as encouraging the development of relationships between the between the arts and business communities, these activities will help to demonstrate the rich artistic and creative resources which sit alongside the science and technology assets in the West. In many cases they sit at the interface between science and arts, between creativity and technology which is part of the unique culture of the region.
Science City Bristol communications executive Becky Sage said: “The appetite for Venturefest has been huge. The West of England has a substantial population of entrepreneurs and innovators which has been reflected in the number of applications we received and the number of delegates that have registered. But this event isn’t about large numbers; it is about the quality of ideas and the quality of interaction on the day. We are grateful for the help of expert panels and partner networks who have helped us to generate delegate numbers and ensure the quality of companies that are participating.”
