Member Article

New website to get start-ups CONNECTed

A new project is aiming to beat the downturn by marrying fledgling technology companies with investors and venture capitalists.

CONNECT North East is being organised by networking company The Bridge Club Ltd to help the brightest ideas across the region find financial backing to become successful ventures.

Its new website - www.connectnortheast.com - allows young technology companies to complete a company profile online which will then be seen by investors.

CONNECT North East will also host a number of networking events and workshops in the region, aimed at helping young companies become pitch perfect and meet potential backers.

Bridge Club Ltd Managing Director Caroline Theobald said: “Despite what we hear about a recession, there is money out there. There is always the money to support good ideas. But it’s about marrying the right ideas with the right people.”

CONNECT North East’s aim is to showcase innovative companies from the North East and by working with regional partners help them to find the investment and other assistance they need.

CONNECT was founded in San Diego, California, in 1985, in response to a serious economic downturn. At the time, people were keen to move away from the traditional reliance on the defence industry and into a more knowledge-based economy.

It proved a great success and has helped 1,000 technology company start-ups and facilitated more than $600m in funding into 300 companies.

Caroline said: “There is amazing talent in the North East and there are all kinds of technology in universities, in innovation clusters, and in existing companies which have growth potential which people don’t necessarily know about. This is their chance to get some publicity to help them grow and to know that they are not alone, that there are people here to help them on their journeys.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .