Venturefest Manchester and Innovation Showcase: Let the innovators meet the investors…
Venturefest Manchester is one of the biggest innovator/investor/ entrepreneur brokerage events.
Let the innovators meet the investors
Venturefest Manchester is one of the biggest innovator/investor/ entrepreneur brokerage events in the region and this year it is taking place on Thurs, 14 Sept at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.  Book your place now.
The theme for this year’s event is ‘Fuelling Growth through Commercialising Innovation’. Venturefest events are funded by Innovate UK and managed by the Knowledge Transfer Network to bring together innovators (with great ideas looking for funding), investors (looking for great ideas to invest in) and entrepreneurs (putting the businesses together with the money to build successful businesses).
This year’s event in Manchester will again include the Innovation Showcase Competition, in which start-up and young companies, as well as growth businesses, have the chance to pitch their business idea to an audience of potential investors and win a package of support provided by the partners of the Business Growth Hub.
Two of last year’s success stories include VST Enterprises and winners Nothing but Epic.
The VST Enterprises Story
VST Enterprises product VCode is a next generation symbol technology which can be read by scanning, to make the lives of users more efficient.
With 2.2 quintillion secure variations, VCode allows any form of data transfer (including media content, payments and identification documents) instantaneously and on the move, working to help eliminate fraud and counterfeiting worldwide.
Louis-James Davis, VST Enterprises CEO, “We’ve done two fundraising rounds since Venturefest 2016; one which valued us at £30m, and one at £220m – that gave us a massive boost.
“We’ve started working in New York, and Reno, and we’ve gone on a Trade Mission with the Prime Minister to India – we’ve opened up two offices in India, one in Africa as well, and we’re looking at setting up a new company that can trade with Russia.”
For them, their involvement in Venturefest led directly to new business opportunities. “The Innovation Showcase gave us speaking opportunities, and introduced us to lots of Manchester-centric businesses like MIDAS.
“I’d tell businesses to take every opportunity that they can get, so I’d recommend they get into Venturefest – it’s quite renowned in Manchester.”
Read VST Enterprises full case study at: http://bit.ly/2uC2Ge0
Nothing But Epic’s Story
Digital agency Nothing But Epic brought Padoq, their app which creates a social feed with boundaries, to last year’s Innovation Showcase and walked away with the top prize.
Whilst the agency delivers websites, social media campaigns, design and PPC marketing to businesses, Padoq is a product of theirs specifically designed for groups of friends, those with shared interests, or to be used around brands and causes.
MD Mike Anderson told us that Nothing But Epic has gone from strength to strength since last year’s Venturefest. “Off the back of the competition we’ve had successful validation of the Padoq product. We’ve done a round of investment, and we’ll be launching the product in the Autumn.
“Venturefest has been great for us,” Mike says. “Our business advisor recommended that we apply – and we felt that, as a company, we were at the right stage. I went to practice pitches which were really useful for getting ready for it all. And it went well. The PR and press off the back of it has allowed us to win national clients; the reach has been great. Being up on stage in front of all those people was a very cool experience!”
“I’m looking forward to showing off our progress when we come back this year!”
Read VST Enterprises full case study at: http://bit.ly/2uC2Ge0