Member Article

Companies to pitch for share of £2bn

Manufacturing, engineering and technology firms are to be given the opportunity for their share of £2 billion of investors’ money.

The first ‘Investor Pitch’ expo is aimed at businesses with an annual turnover of more than £5 million looking to secure business funding. Dozens of venture capital and investment firms will be in attendance, in a bid to seek out new and exciting investment opportunities.

The event, which has been organised by Chris Silverwood of Ethos Corporate Finance, will be held that the Royal Armouries in Leeds on the 21 September.

He commented: “Put simply, there is a wall of money out there in the equity funding market, but for a whole host of reasons some very good businesses that have huge growth potential aren’t receiving the investment that they require to become truly world beating businesses, so we’re trying something radically different.

“The idea is simple: we put very investable firms into the same room as the investors who have capital to invest and are awaiting the right opportunity. We are going to bring established businesses with potential together with investors, with a view to fast tracking the whole pitching and fundraising process that can often waste months.”

50 firms seeking a minimum of £500,000 will be able to to exhibit, putting management teams, concepts, products and credentials on display for potential investors.

Martin Penny, founder of environmental business OHS Ltd and the ghd hair care brand has also lent his support to the new initiative.

Penny commented “I think this is a great opportunity for businesses who are finding it increasingly difficult to secure traditional bank funding to explore other avenues of investment.

“There are many solid well performing businesses whose growth is being hampered by the UK banks’ current intransigent attitude towards lending. Not only are the individual businesses suffering but this is having a knock on effect on the economy as a whole.”

The exhibition will also give high net worth individuals and venture capital funders the opportunity to achieve higher levels of returns than are currently being offered by the banks with less risk of investing in a start up business with no track record.

If companies and investors agree that there could be potential for a funding match, they will be able to arrange terms of confidentiality and immediately move to more discreet and specific conversations in private breakout rooms. Within the increasingly difficult and slow moving corporate fundraising process, such meetings often take weeks to arrange.

He continued: “As experienced corporate financiers, we know that this type of investment is a sensitive and confidential matter. We have provided safeguards in the format of the event to ensure that confidentiality can be maintained, whilst also accelerating the usually very slow process of initial meetings, credentials and outline pitches.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .