Manchester digital accelerator open for applications

Digital companies in the North West can now secure money, mentors and access to markets by applying to join Collider13, the B2B startup accelerator programme.

The initiative - organised by Pembridge Partnership and Creative England and supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund - aims to partner startups with established brands.

Brands partnering with Collider13 include Bauer Media, BBC Worldwide, CBS Outdoor, Unilever and William Hill.

The programme provides start-ups with £100k funding in a mix of loan and equity, mentoring for a year, access to brands, access to office space and technology testing facilities and a focus on companies in the North West of England.

Benefits to the brands include access to the latest technology to accelerate their marketing ahead of competitors, the potential to create a product exclusively for the brand, mentoring entrepreneurs of the future and widening their contacts by interacting with brands, entrepreneurs and experts in a range of industries.

Investors in startups in Collider13 benefit from a rigorous selection and acceptance process, a quality pipeline of future investment opportunities, guaranteed loan funding, all startups being Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) eligible and first option to follow investment to future rounds.

Startups interested in Collider 13 can attend an event at TechHub, Carver’s Warehouse, Dale Street, Manchester from 6.30pm to 9pm on Thursday, 31st October where they can meet a panel of experts and local businesses that benefited from involvement in the preceding Collider12 programme.

The application process is already open via www.f6.com/collider13 and startups have until Thursday, 7th November to register.

Collider12 resulted in seven companies gaining commercial deals, four companies raising follow-on funding, and the creation of 39 jobs.

Successful applicants included digital technologies which offered innovative ways to advertise on mobiles, to engage better with customers, and to connect employees spread across the globe.

Among start-ups to benefit from Collider12 were Manchester-based businesses Moment.Us and WhichSocial. After receiving the £100,000 investment and access to mentors, brands and markets both have enjoyed significant growth and signed deals with other businesses.

Pembridge Partnership – the cornerstone investor in Collider and main mentor on the programme - is a UK-based team of entrepreneurs and investors that help businesses start, grow and exit to realise value for shareholders.

Creative England is a national agency that invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses in film, TV, games and digital media.

Rose Lewis, founder and director of Collider, said: “The 2012 programme surpassed our expectation and we secured follow-on investment in three startups, drawing in new investors as well. The formula of brands working with startups was immensely powerful for both parties.

“We’re expecting to deepen and broaden the investor, brand and adviser relationships we had with Collider12 into Collider13 – the format works well and the niche is focused and well defined. Collider12 has turned out to be productive for all parties and we will continue with this model with Collider13.”

Jim Farmery, Creative England’s Director of Business Investment, added: “Creative England is delighted to launch Collider13 and I’m looking forward again to seeing what fascinating technologies and products we see from the teams that take part this year.

“We are leveraging significant private sector investment of £600,000 against our Regional Growth Fund investment of £400,000, and we also looking to create and safeguard almost 70 jobs.”

Pembridge will announce further partnerships and alliances to support the 2013 programme in the near future.

Startups wishing to attend the event at TechHub on 31st October can register at https://fuellingyourstartup.eventbrite.co.uk/

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