Member Article

Tech Mahindra Launches Incubator for Tech Start-Ups

Tech Mahindra, a specialist in digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering, has announced the official launch of InnovateMK, an incubator that looks at working with the technology start-ups in the Milton Keynes area in the UK. The new initiative sponsored by Tech Mahindra and supported by Lividia, The Cube and MK Council, looks at promoting local technology entrepreneurs

A Tech Mahindra initiative, InnovateMK is also supported by an entire partner ecosystem consisting of Lividia (providing serial entrepreneurship experience), The Cube Athens (one of the larger Incubators in Europe with core expertise in running incubators) and Milton Keynes Council (Invest MK – business support and soft landing offer).

Existing members of the InnovateMK initiative include Fatpencil, Nth Dimension, Wellkom, MaaS and CAPE. Over the course of the next two years, Innovate MK aims to support more than 50 entrepreneurial ventures in the region.

The launch event, held at InnovateMK’s offices in Grafton Gate in Milton Keynes, was well-attended by business leaders in the city, local representatives from Milton Keynes’ council and Mayoral departments.

“Our vision is that anyone can be an entrepreneur. Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas are emerging as a very popular hub for start-up activity and the launch of InnovateMK will provide benefits for both the incubator members and the local community,“ said Vikram Nair, President, Europe at Tech Mahindra.

“We’re looking forward to recruiting new members to the Innovate MK community as well as offering a host of resources which will provide a sales channel for start-ups to really capitalise on their business ideas,“ added Nair.

InnovateMK is designed to encourage and support local entrepreneurs and start-ups providing access to crucial resources. These include a vibrant co-working centre, access to key entrepreneurial events, mentoring and networking events within the investment community along with channels to market.

Peter Marland, Leader of the Council said: “Milton Keynes is dedicated to supporting new start-ups in the region; in fact, the city was recently ranked number one for start-ups outside of London. The launch of InnovateMK complements the work we do, providing entrepreneurs and businesses with some great opportunities to progress their ideas. This launch is especially significant as it also coincides with the 50 year celebration of Milton Keynes as a city and reinforces its commitment towards this young, vibrant and innovative region.“

According to Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy and Marketing officer of Tech Mahindra,

InnovateMK is representative of Tech Mahindra’s wider strategy to support business incubation and augmentation, and the start-up mindsets resonates strongly with the DNA of Tech Mahindra’s own business. “We believe we can provide the right experience, technology expertise and, most importantly, an understanding of the market opportunities to support start-ups in the city. Milton Keynes is a shining example of a self-contained high-tech city where citizens are always ready to experiment and adopt new technologies,“ said Mitra “We’re excited about the launch of the incubator at a place that is strategic to our business and we’re looking forward to unlocking the potential of these digital companies, together.“ he added.

One of the UK’s most enduringly successful ‘New Towns’, Milton Keynes was designed from the ground-up as an environment which nurtures new businesses. It has been ranked as number one for start-ups outside of London and, for the sixth year running, the annual index of economic performance has put Milton Keynes as the top city in the country for jobs growth.

Tech Mahindra is also one of the partners working on integrated solutions across a connected ecosystem of Smart City initiatives through Milton Keynes.

Coinciding with the launch, InnovateMK is also hosting today the Milton Keynes Start-up Weekend for the entrepreneurs in the region. Powered by Google for Entrepreneurs; a 54-hour event will see experts and entrepreneurs sharing their practical experience during the entrepreneurial journey. The event will also help entrepreneurs learn how to create a real company apart from providing them with a platform to meet mentors, investors, cofounders, and sponsors who are ready to help them get started.

To join up alongside these entrepreneurial start-ups, contact innovatemk@techmahindra.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tech M .