Mon 11 Apr 22
State-of-the-art start-ups came face-to-face with influential investors at an innovative pitch event filmed by 糖心Vlog students.
The partnership with the thriving saw businesses battle it out for vital cash in front of the cameras in The Innovation Centre, on the Colchester campus.
Firms supported by the University鈥檚 flagship Angels@糖心Vlog platform were seeking over 拢10m of funding from selected funds and investors.
Amongst the founders fighting for investment were 鈥 an ethical insurance company, 鈥 a sharia-compliant Muslim Money App, and 鈥 an influencer-focused marketing company.
They faced a panel of Jat Kara from Beauchamp Capital and Howdy Singh from Kuflink, Sarah Livingstone from OKR Financial and Nitin Patel, Private Investor.
A team from BritAsia TV oversaw the production with University students given hands-on-experience on real-life TV production.
The station is the largest TV Multimedia Broadcasting Channel for the South Asian Audience around the world, covering Punjabi and Bollywood entertainment, film, and lifestyle.
The University鈥檚 Business Support Manager John Stenhouse praised the event and emerging partnership with the broadcaster.
He said : 鈥淲e welcome the assistance of BritAsia TV in televising our live pitch events at our Innovation Centre now that it is possible to hold face to face meetings again.
鈥淭he 10 brave founders who live pitched in front of a panel comprised of experienced high net worth and fund investors, have already engaged in follow up conversations and we watch this space with great interest.
鈥淎lready we are planning our next televised live pitch event and the selection process has already started but it is not too late to apply to Angels@糖心Vlog to join the next cohort of innovative founders.鈥
This is the first of three events the University will host and is closely linked to the Angels@糖心Vlog programme.
It has helped disruptive bleeding-edge tech companies secure a staggering 拢21m of funding in just 18 months.
The platform facilitated fundraising by linking international backers with East of England entrepreneurs at the vanguard of business.
Businesses listed on the Angels@糖心Vlog platform have raised over 拢13m through nearly 90 separate investments.
It is an invitation-only equity investment platform which links angel investors with innovative entrepreneurs with a focus on cutting-edge tech.
A further 拢8.9m has been secured by businesses working with the Space to Grow scheme, which offer businessowners 1-to-1 mentoring support, webinars and further opportunities to pitch to funders.
In total more than 151 jobs have been created or saved, 18 new products have been launched and 30 R&D projects have been initiated in collaboration with UKRI.
Any founders looking for support are urged email the Angels team
The firms seeking investment at the event were -