Member Article

Sage put funding and expertise behind Campus North project

Software heavyweight Sage has lent its support to Newcastle’s new technology start-up hub - Campus North - with a £10k package of support.

The 10,000 sq ft Campus North building on the city centre’s Carliol Square is officially opened this week and will host 150 founders, developers and designers, as well as local tech meetups and educational workshops.

As lead sponsors, Sage have provided cash to spend on community development, events and start-up support, along with expertise from across their business functions - to provide mentoring and training to start-ups.

Sage plan deliver a programme of developer or start-up led talks, seminars or workshops as well as regular visits by Sage One developers, designers, and testers, to share knowledge.

Paul Smith, co-founder and director of Ignite100 said: “I’m delighted that Sage is now leading the way by working with Campus North to support early-stage tech start-ups.

“A successful tech cluster can demonstrate success to the outside and support itself from within, and Sage certainly embodies those principals.

“Sage has inspired plenty of entrepreneurs in the past; now that they are actively supporting technology businesses in Newcastle through community support and mentoring, it will continue to do so in the future.”

The Campus North project is the work of technology accelerator team, Ignite100, who saw their original programme grow so rapidly that a burgeoning group of alumni could no longer be accommodated at their former Westgate Road loft premises.

Offering co-working and events space, Campus North is also intended to offer flexible office space for start-ups.

The space already plays host to 6 international start-ups on the UKTI-funded SIRIUS programme which aims to bring worldwide talent to the UK with a view to setting up companies here and creating jobs.

Claire Carter, general manager of Sage One, UK & Ireland, said: “We’re committed to and hugely passionate about UK entrepreneurship and small businesses everywhere.

“This new partnership draws on our extensive experience of supporting the UK start-up community and we’re looking forward to further supporting the burgeoning local tech start-up scene.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .