University of Birmingham pitches in with ambitious, high-growth companies

PRESS RELEASE

University of Birmingham pitches in with ambitious, high-growth companies

Pitchfest winners to share £2,000 of cash prizes

Applications are now open for Pitchfest 2017, the unique annual pitching competition that gives ambitious West Midlands companies the opportunity to raise their profile with national investors.

Pitchfest takes entrepreneurs through their paces in a series of free pitching workshops, where experienced business advisors help companies become “investment ready”. Selection panels involving investors then determine which pitches should be shortlisted for the final rounds at Venturefest West Midlands on June 27^th.

In addition to free training, this year’s heat winners will share in £1,000 of cash prizes sponsored by each of the Birmingham Research Park, Warwick Science Park, and Innovation Birmingham. The audience will then vote for their favourite out of those winners – the recipient then winning a further £1,000 cash prize sponsored by international law firm Gowling WLG.

Participation in the event is free of charge, and interested companies are urged to enter as soon as possible, so they can take advantage of the remaining pitching workshops hosted at the University’s BizzInn business incubator and Aston’s Centre for Growth in May.

David Coleman, Head of Enterprise Acceleration at the University of Birmingham commented: “The West Midlands is a base for some fabulous businesses. However, positioning your company to attract investment can be quite daunting for some, particularly if you are talking to investors for the first time.  Pitchfest is a great way of getting exposure to investors, and obtaining really constructive feedback that can help your business in all kinds of ways. ”

Pitchfest is jointly organised by Aston University, the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick, in association with Venturefest West Midlands.

Interested companies can register at www.venturefestwm.co.uk/pitchfest or contact the Incubation Manager at the BizzInn via [email protected] for further details.

• Ends –

About the BizzInn

The BizzInn is a business incubator providing free training and support from business advisors, 24/7 office space with WiFi, hot-desks, meeting rooms, printing, free parking and subsidized refreshments..  BizzInn members also benefit from the Entrepreneurs in Residence who provide bespoke business mentoring with the aim of refining business models for early stage ventures.    For more information see www.bizzinn.org.

For media information contact:

Ruth Ashton,
University of Birmingham Enterprise & Innovation
E: [email protected], T: 0121 414 9090