Entrepreneurs with a smart idea for a start-up tech venture are being invited to pitch their proposals and work them up into a full business plan with the help of top experts – and win a full support package to turn their concept into reality.
The University of Plymouth is hosting the Techstars Startup Weekend from November 15 to 17 and is stressing the event is open to anyone with a clever business plan, not just students.
The event will see participants pitch their raw ideas and then work up the best ones. A panel of judges from high-flying Plymouth tech companies will then pick one to win access to an incubation programme, coaching support, co-working space, and backing from the £6million iMayflower programme to build Plymouth’s creative industries.
“We want people with a raw idea, something they have never worked on, apart from maybe researching the market,” said Emily Barrett, knowledge exchange officer at the University of Plymouth. “So it has to be an early-stage idea.”
TO TAKE PART IN TECHSTARS VISIT
She said already about 40 people have signed up to attend the Techstars event, beating the 25 total for a pilot that took place in April 2019, but organisers would like a minimum of 50 and she said: “We want even more than that.”
Participation costs £20, but she stressed that similar events in London can cost £70, and in New York they charge about £150.
“People don’t even have to have an idea to take part,” she said. “They can still sign up and join a team.”
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She explained that the weekend starts with a Friday evening pitch, everyone outlines their concept with judges taking the best “five to 10” on to the next stage.
That’s when all participants are divided into teams to develop the ideas, so while the originator retains the idea, others can help work on it and may end up collaborating.
“Everyone with an idea has to accept that they will be evolving it together,” said Tom Edie, the university’s knowledge exchange manager.
“And if someone’s idea is not selected there are still experts they can talk to about it,” stressed Ms Barrett.
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She said entrepreneurs from successful Plymouth tech businesses such as imployable, Crowdfunder and Plymouth Software, Future Sync Software and Events, Astley Media, Momentum South West, Plymouth Culture, Evident and Thompson Jenner, would be on hand to offer advice and help as coaches and mentors.
The facilitator is Cindy Spelt, founder of facial recognition firm Zoom In and Zoom Out, and chief executive of another called Supermassive Black Hole.
The judges include Crowdfunder chief executive Rob Love and Donna Barnes from Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.
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They will pick a winner who will receive access to the Atlantic Youths Creative Hubs incubation programme at Plymouth College of Art, mentoring with Canopy Coaching’s Stewart Noakes, co-working space at Plymouth Science Park’s Formation Zone, and support from the iMayflower consortium.
The event is part of a series of Startup Weekends the university will be delivering with iMayflower, which is supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and is led by Plymouth City Council in partnership with the university, Creative England, Crowdfunder, Destination Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art and the Real Ideas Organisation. The event comes at the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Mr Edie said: “Everyone who takes part in this will get something out of it.”