Member Article

Investment capability in South Yorkshire set for a boost with launch of new partnership

Leeds-based investment non-profit NorthInvest has joined forces with TEAM SY to boost investment and entrepreneurial growth across South Yorkshire. Focused on developing an angel network and syndicate, the partnership will support and manage investing capacity and angel network activities throughout the region.

Fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Capital Enterprise and Barnsley Council, participation onto the project comes at no cost to founders.

Jordan Dargue, Director of NorthInvest, commented: “This exciting new partnership will ensure that together, we are able to grow the investment and support available to early stage businesses based in South Yorkshire.

“A key element to this will be the creation of a South Yorkshire Angel Hub that will enable us to build out angel capacity and further develop the early stage investment landscape and ecosystem by proactively engaging and onboarding the region’s investment ecosystem through NorthInvest.”

Operating across the north of England, NorthInvest is a well-established angel investment network. Delivered by Capital Enterprise, TEAM SY is expanding and improving the business support and investment ecosystem in South Yorkshire by delivering high quality, pre-accelerator, accelerator and investment readiness programmes.

Darren Balcolmbe, Deputy CEO at Capital Enterprise, added: “To complement the support provided by NorthInvest and outside networks, that will grow the pool of innovation investment and funding available to the region’s SMEs, a programme of support has been created for entrepreneurs to prepare them to grow their business and be ready for investment.

“This will see TEAM SY provide the resources and expertise to enhance the provision of business support available to potentially scalable and investable tech businesses in South Yorkshire and to attract ambitious entrepreneurs to launch their own tech start-ups.”

By delivering a dense and intense programme of acceleration in the region, the joint project will aim to generate the critical mass of activities necessary to raise lasting interest from both businesses and investors and embed a culture of acceleration and investment into the business support ecosystem.

Founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneur Professor Adam Beaumont, NorthInvest is a not-for-profit investment organisation dedicated to building a stronger and more connected tech investor and start-up community across the North of England. In 2020/21, NorthInvest increased its impact significantly to facilitate 19 rounds of funding worth over £9 million and deliver 294 free coaching and mentoring sessions to entrepreneurs, and in 2021 to date, has backed 18 founders.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sara Donnelly .