Exchange scale-up programme announces its fourth cohort of ambitious early-stage tech firms
Fifteen new tech start-ups will be joining the Exchange scheme with plans to scale, grow and raise funds over the next six months, with the support of the start-up programme and its partners.
Joining the growing Enterprise City community, the latest intake of businesses are the fourth cohort of firms to join the programme which is made up of 31 businesses in total, with 16 previous members continuing their journey for another six months. So far, the scheme has supported more than 80 businesses and more than 400 individuals since 2020.
Members of the Exchange scheme span a wide range of tech sectors, from consumer electronics and gaming to data analytics and climate tech. The firms are disrupting their sectors and have innovative ideas and approaches that have the potential to change the status quo in their respective industries.
Alumni of the scheme have raised more than £9 million in funding while on the scheme, and the newest cohort hope to follow in the footsteps of businesses such as Sparkbox, Versori and PixelMax which have secured investment and gained recognition in the tech field.
Exchange has partnerships with several investors and venture funds so meaningful introductions can be made to propel businesses on their funding journey.
Alongside support from Tech Nation as knowledge partner, Exchange members work closely with industry professionals who offer workshops and one-to-ones to assist in all areas of scaling a business. The members of the scheme form a network of like-minded entrepreneurs, sharing useful advice and experiences among themselves.
The Exchange scheme is based at Department Bonded Warehouse in the heart of Enterprise City and forms a vital part of the tech ecosystem in the area. Start-ups are dynamic and forward-thinking, continuously adding new ideas and approaches to the district, and as firms grow, they will attract even more top tech talent to the area. Over the first three cohorts, Exchange member businesses have created more than 100 new jobs.
Alice Pickersgill, community outreach lead at Exchange Enterprise City, said: “Over the past two years and three cohorts of Exchange, we have had the privilege of supporting some of the most forward-thinking tech businesses currently out there. I can’t wait to get to know the new businesses we have accepted and to see the continued growth of the members continuing their journeys as they all learn and scale together.”
Introducing Exchange cohort four
The Tech Nation 2021 report revealed that health tech in the North West of England saw a 200% increase in investment against the previous year, which is promising for the four health tech firms on the cohort, AINOSTICS, intellithing, PharmAppy and Candle.
An e-commerce boom during lockdown has led to it being a prominent area for start-ups in recent years, including Exchange members, aboard, Fassion, and Spread Like Wildfire, which are all operating in the marketplace space.
Gaming business, AriSports, was a member of the previous cohort and is being joined by immersive technology and content innovator, AVimmerse. Three fintechs of cohort three, Payful, Ryft and Bex, will all be extending their memberships.
Expanding the range of sectors on the scheme are new HRTech firms, SpaceHR and Emotie. Joining existing member, sustainabl.co in the climate tech space is eco-friendly packaging solution, no-boxx.
Having formed a partnership with another Exchange business during the previous cohort, proptech business, Housr, will be staying on Exchange to continue its growth. The team will be joined by a second proptech firm, U-See Tech.
Supporting companies in their tech infrastructure, data analytics and business intelligence are Versori and Attendist. Consumer-facing products include ethical speaker tech firm, COYOSY and Cyberstroller, the world’s first smart baby pram.
Aquaint is streamlining processes such as checklists, training and maintenance for the hospitality sector, while Trusic is aiming to disrupt the music industry and put money back in the pockets of artists. EdenFiftyOne is a global EdTech platform for the teaching, learning and assessment of the English language.
Other businesses continuing their Exchange journey are InHaus, helping fashion retailers to create product videos for items listed online, and Papermill, which has been called “Canva for documents”.
Rounding off Exchange cohort four are adtech and marketing companies, SoSquared and Snippet, lawtech, Prin-D, and API blockchain solution provider, Krowd Innovation.
Chi-chi Ekweozor, founder of new Exchange member, Attendist, said: “We are so excited to be part of Exchange and the Enterprise City community. We have been quietly working on Attendist for a few months now and it will be fantastic to continue that journey in this collaborative space and to be surrounded by businesses just like ours.”
Mo Aldalou, senior scaleup engagement manager at Tech Nation, said: “The businesses we have seen come through the programme so far have developed into some incredible enterprises and it has been fantastic to see. I am looking forward to working with the newest cohort to help them maximise their opportunities through the scaling process and reach their greatest heights.”
