Latest in the series of Tech City Investment Organisation mentoring sessions to focus on packaging start-ups for growth

London, 9 March 2012 – A promising group of London entrepreneurs will join leading business figures this afternoon at top law firm Hogan Lovells as part of the Tech City Investment Organisation’s (TCIO) monthly mentoring programme. This is the third session from TCIO’s mentorship programme, which brings together industry leaders with digital start-ups and entrepreneurs for “speed mentoring”, providing training and expertise, and helping to foster collaboration in the community.

Today’s session will be led by Paul Massey, Director of Mentorwell.com. Focusing on how start-ups can package themselves to grow, the session will include coaching on common business challenges, including accessing funding, pitching and legal issues. Mentors offering advice on these topics include entreprenuers who have tackled some of these early stage challenges including Matt Robinson, founder of Tech City startup GoCardless; business development and performance coach Annette Kramer; Steve Kennedy, founder of CityMeetsTech; as well as Entrepreneurs in Residence at Kingston University’s Enterprise Business Awards.

Lawyers from Hogan Lovells will also be on hand to offer information and feedback to attendees on the common legal challenges start-ups face. Key issues to be covered include information on what entrepreneurs need to cover off to attract investors, intellectual property rights and issuing shares.

“Understanding how to package your business in the right way is vital for attracting investment and fostering short to long term growth.” said Massey. “Speed mentoring can be effective as it gives startups the chance to learn quickly from a range of people who have already had successes and failures in navigating business challenges. Speed mentoring can also forge longer term trusted mentoring relationships which mentorwell.com is designed to support. The combination of practical and legal teaching at today’s event aims to equip the young start-ups attending with the tools to package their business for success.”

Commenting on the most recent speed mentoring session, mentee Nick Holzherr of Recip.ly said: “The one-on-one format worked really well for feedback because rather than read out questions or feedback in front of a panel, mentors were much more hands on and detailed in their responses. I doubt anyone would attend without making a number of changes for the better. The feedback we received was invaluable.”

Participants at this month’s event are a selection of 18 of TechCity’s start-ups working in diverse markets reflecting the breadth of industries impacted by TechCity. Startups involved include a company working in the space sector, a social menu application, an online building development and planning portal, online fashion and art start-ups and a new recruitment community for creatives. Entrepeneurs from London Business School will also be attending.

“Mentoring can play a vital role in the development of entrepreneurial talent, and a good mentor will be able to support start-ups as they move through different stages of development,” said Andrew Humphries, Tech City Ambassador. “One of the most important building blocks of a sustainable community is having is fostering talent, and it is fantastic that Paul and his are playing their part to support these entrepreneurs.”

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 Mentrowell .

People can find out more and sign up to participate as mentors and mentees at future TechCity mentoring events at http://www.mentorwell.com/17-TechCity+Mentoring.

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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.

Mentorwell.com is an online collaboration and mentoring platform. The platform supports startups and other people being mentored with peer-to-peer collaboration tools to help people achieve their goals and mark achievements. For example, mentorwell.com includes a dynamic goal achievement app allowing mentors to suggest tasks, questions, achievements and documents relating to an individual’s personal or business goals. Mentorwell.com also provides online software and training to help manage mentoring schemes and is supporting a growing network of mentoring schemes in the UK across the business, education and charity sectors.