The most highly anticipated event in the South West tech startup calendar is BACK this spring. That’s right, techSPARK’s Silicon Gorge competition is returning, giving the chance for 12 lucky startups to pitch to a room of investors.
In case you’re not familiar, Silicon Gorge is a pitching competition that culminates in an Investor Showcase, this year taking place on 4 June. It shines a light on the best early-stage startups in the region all looking for between £100k – £2m. In such a turbulent investment climate, we’re so pleased to be able to deliver this opportunity once again.
Alumni of Silicon Gorge include Immersive Labs and Martin Bysh from Huboo, who have raised £68m and £60m in 2021 alone, plus many others who have raised millions since they pitched: Lettus Grow, KETS Quantum Security, Yellowdog, TravelLocal, Virti, Neighbourly to name just a few.
At each event we have a small panel to help bring out any extra details from the pitchers, and previous panellists include Jean de Fougerolles, Managing Partner at Ascension Ventures, Charles Grimsdale, Angel and Founder at Eden Ventures, Lisa Matthews, Portfolio Manager at Jenson Funding Partners, and Simon Murdoch, Managing Partner at Episode 1.
Applications for the 2024 edition will be opening very shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for more information to come on 4 March.
If you’re an investor, do sign up for our mailing list to receive an invite to the Investor Showcase, or contact abby@techspark.co for more details.
Silicon Gorge timeline
For now, there are some key dates to get in the diary:
As with all techSPARK activity, none of this would be possible without the continued support from our fantastic sponsors. This year supporting Silicon Gorge is:
TLT
TLT is a full-service commercial law firm built on ambition, innovation and dedication to its clients. The firm’s dynamic fast growth team, led out of its award-winning corporate practice, supports a variety of funders and investors, from business angels to institutional funds working on investments, and seed rounds through series A to Exit. The team is made up of leading advisers to businesses looking to “scale-up” and grow rapidly, acting as a sounding board for early-stage ideas and supporting as products and services develop. They fully protect your ideas, work with you to raise finance, execute key contracts and fulfil data and regulatory requirements.
Mercuri
Mercuri is an early-stage venture capital fund that leads pre-seed and seed funding rounds for UK-based technology companies. The firm is dedicated to backing outstanding entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of developing tech-driven products designed for the new age of enterprise and the digital lifestyle of the consumer. With a focus on the dynamic intersection of technology, media, and entertainment, Mercuri has a keen interest in a variety of sectors such as enterprise AI, gaming, e-sports, data privacy, no-code, future of work, education, the creator economy, and digital communities.
Engine Shed & SETsquared
Engine Shed is Bristol’s innovation hub next to Temple Meads station. They provide space, membership, training and events that fuel a thriving innovation ecosystem in the West of England. The SETsquared Partnership is a global business incubator and Accelerator that helps startups and innovative businesses in the UK.
Link Stone Advisory
Link Stone Advisory supports entrepreneurs and business leaders to drive value. They deliver integrated support that draws on senior executive experience and professional expertise with a flexible and collegiate approach.
British Business Bank
British Business Bank is a government-owned business development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses. Whether you’re looking for finance to start a business, grow to the next level, or stay ahead of the competition, they’re delivering greater volume and choice of finance.
