Going for Gold – Tech City Start-ups Meet with UK Business Leaders for Entrepreneur Games

  Latest in the series of Tech City Investment Organisation mentoring sessions to focus on the pitch process

London, 20 January 2012 – Ten entrepreneurs will join leading business figures this afternoon in Tech City as part of Tech City Investment Organisation’s (TCIO) mentoring programme. The TCIO mentorship programme, which launched in December, brings together industry veterans with digital start-ups and entrepreneurs for “speed mentoring”, providing training and advice, and helping to foster collaboration in the community.

Led by Kevin Eyres, Talent Champion for TCIO, today’s session will focus on the pitch process with particular emphasis on training for pitching when looking to raise capital. Participating entrepreneurs will have the chance to pitch to, and get feedback from, top UK business leaders including Carlos Eduardo Espinal, partner at Seedcamp; Divinia Knowles, COO/CFO of MindCandy; Simon Walker, partner and Head of the Venture Capital Group at Taylor Wessing; and Glenn Shoosmith, founder and CEO of BookingBug.

“Perfecting the pitch is a delicate art but an essential skill to have,” said Eyres. “What’s great about speed mentoring is that you get the chance to put your pitching abilities to the test. The instant feedback young start-ups are getting will equip entrepreneurs with the tools to build and develop this invaluable lifetime skill.”

Shoosmith said, “When you’re a small start-up seeking investment it can be a real slog in the early days and success really boils down to being able to prove the credibility of what you’re doing. Crafting your pitch is absolutely critical to making the right first impression. Whether you’re pitching to angel investors or VCs, being able to deliver an exciting and compelling case as to why you’re the one to invest in is one of the most important things you’ll ever do in the early years.”

Commenting on the most recent speed mentoring session, Dr Stuart Battersby of Chatterbox Analytics said: “The Tech City speed mentoring events are a great opportunity to pitch your company or proposal to a wide range of heavyweight mentors, testing out what works and what doesn’t. Being put on the spot forces you to be concise, and the small snippets of feedback that you get from the mentors really help you steer your company’s development.”

TCIO launched its mentoring programme following feedback from companies in Tech City and best practices from other tech communities. Mentors and mentees interested in participating can sign up via an online platform – this month, supported by f6s (pronounced “F-success”). Designed to help mentors and mentees to find each other and access relevant features and tools, the platform helps to put control of the relationship in their hands.

To register interest in the programme as either a mentor or entrepreneur, please visit www.f6s.com/techcitymentor

TCIO was set up by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). It is designed to help the existing cluster of tech-digital and creative companies flourish.

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Media contacts: 

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

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

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy – acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information on UKTI, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or telephone +44 (0)20 7215 8000. For latest press releases, visit the online newsroom at www.ukti.gov.uk/media.

f6s is a movement of entrepreneurs, mentors and business experts that help fledgling companies and start-ups to succeed. f6s provides an online platform that makes it easy for entrepreneurs to find the right level of mentor support and access relevant features and tools, streamlining the mentoring process and enabling individuals to match their needs to mentor skills and experience. Founded in 2011, f6s is focused on making the UK and Europe a better place to be an entrepreneur. For more information, visit: www.f6s.com/techcitymentor.