Liverpool firms to seek investors during China trade visit

A business leaders from the Chinese city of Guiyang are coming to Liverpool this week (April 8) to explore opportunities for collaboration on crowdfunding, tourism and big data.

The 24-strong delegation, which includes the city’s deputy mayor Wang Yuxiang, will take a tour of Liverpool’s tech and creative clusters where it will meet local firms seeking international investment.

During the visit, Liverpool’s Vice Mayor Gary Millar and Wang Yuxiang will sign a friendship agreement to cement the link between the two cities as they look to stimulate trade and investment, potentially maximising opportunities for mutually beneficial projects.

Invest Liverpool, the city’s inward investment agency, organised the delegation’s meetup with local businesses.

The agency’s director, Ellen Cutler, said: “We’re excited to welcome this delegation from one of the world’s crowdfunding hotspots to Liverpool and to be furthering the city’s already strong relationship with China.

“The strength of Guiyang’s crowdfunding sector, coupled with Liverpool’s deep-seated entrepreneurial spirit, is a combination that has real potential, both for investors and for the innovative businesses that abound in the Liverpool City Region.”

She continued: “Liverpool is the number one city for small startups in the UK, so it’s only logical to explore the synergies which exist between our two great cities, and develop and cultivate interest from international investors looking to tap into that spirit of enterprise and innovation.

“We look forward to having this opportunity to show this high-profile delegation around our city, and alert them to the brilliant businesses that Liverpool is home to.”

Liverpool-based Vodus, which creates polymer materials for the biomedical sector, is one of the businesses that will pitch to investors during the visit.

The firm’s CEO, Dr Karl Bamford, commented: “From our point of view, this is a fantastic opportunity.

“We’re an expanding business and we’re always looking for new routes to market and this enables us to set out our business and present our proposition to some really influential, well connected investors and crowdfunding specialists.”

He added: “China is a key target market for us, but there are always challenges inherent in tapping into and connecting with international markets – particularly if you’re a small business, so it’s great to have this selection of investors right on our doorstep, showing such keen interest in Liverpool and what we have to offer.”