Prince Andrew Attends the Official Opening of The Trampery, a Pioneering Co-Working Space in East London

London, 11 October 2011 – His Royal Highness, The Duke of York, attended the official opening of the new Trampery, one of London’s most innovative working spaces on Monday evening. Hosted by Charles Armstrong, founder and Director of the Trampery and CEO of Trampoline Systems, the event was attended by employees from the 14 technology start-ups who work from the Trampery and industry leaders from across the Tech City community in East London.

Commenting at his visit to the Trampery, the Duke of York said, “The thing that really impresses me about this is that you are doing it yourselves…It gives me great pleasure to meet with you, to learn about what you are doing, and to say that of all the things I have been doing over the last 10 years or so in terms of business – even for the short period of time I have been here – this is probably some of the most exciting I have seen.”

Armstrong said, “It has been an honour to host the Duke of York at the Trampery, and we are delighted that he has taken the time to join us. This visit is a real recognition of the talent and dynamism of the area, and we are grateful for the support he is showing to London’s start-up community.”

The first Trampery opened in October 2009, and relocated to its new facilities in May 2011 as part of the UK Government’s Tech City initiative. Today, it is home to more than a dozen of London’s fastest growing technology start-ups. The new architect-designed complex features 4000 square feet of workspace, accommodating 50 desks, meeting rooms, hospitality facilities and a 2,500 square foot event space.

Eric van der Kleij, CEO of the Tech City Investment Organisation, said, “Charles and his team are real champions for London’s start-up community, and are a great example of the entrepreneurs and start-ups that make London one of the most creative and innovative cities in the world. The growth of the Trampery and like-minded businesses is a clear indication of how London is fast becoming the digital capital of Europe.”

At the event, the Duke unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion, and took time to meet with the companies that work from the Trampery as well as some of the leading figures from London’s technology industry.

Photos from the event are available here: http://on.fb.me/ptVFPO. If you would like a high resolution JPEG, please contact Jemma Bolland (details below).

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Media contacts: 

Charles Armstrong is available for interviews to discuss the Duke of York’s visit, The Trampery and London’s start-up community. If you are interested in speaking with Charles, please contact Jemma Bolland: [email protected] or 020 7253 6959

For more information on the Tech City Investment Organisation, please contact: 020 7413 3751 or [email protected].

Notes to editors:

The Trampery is a new kind of working environment designed to support a new generation of British enterprises. Drawing on East London’s uniquely eclectic style and inter-disciplinary creative culture, the Trampery is an alluring mixture of English country house, contemporary art gallery and cutting-edge technology centre. Everything is designed to stimulate new ideas, connections and ambitions. The Trampery was founded by technology entrepreneur Charles Armstrong in 2009 in central Shoreditch. It expanded to its current site in 2011 and is now home to 14 of London’s hottest technology businesses, with a total of 50 people, together with a 2,500sqft event space hosting a variety of conferences, press launches and receptions. To find out more, visit thetrampery.com or follow @thetrampery.

The Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO) was created in March 2011, following Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement of the Tech City initiative in the ‘Silicon Roundabout’ area of East London. TCIO was set up by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and is designed to help the existing cluster of tech-digital and creative companies flourish. Tech City stretches out from the financial heart of the City of London to Stratford and the Olympic Park in East London, and is the fastest growing technology cluster in Europe. The TCIO team is a　unique combination of experienced entrepreneurs and UKTI business specialists. Their role is to help　existing companies succeed, as well as attract global business, entrepreneurs and high-value investment to the digital capital of Europe. For more information, visit www.techcityuk.com or www.ukti.gov.uk/techcity or follow us @techcityuk