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Investors descend on Durham for first-ever FinanceCamp investment programme

North East businesses will have the chance to seal investment from dozens of investors who are to descend on Durham tomorrow (Tuesday) for the inaugural FinanceCamp programme.

Over 40 investors and lenders, representing millions of pounds of potential investment, will be attending the event at Ramside Hall in Durham, including venture fund managers, angel investors and crowdfunding platforms.

Organised by the same team behind VentureFest North East and canvassing input from the region’s businesses and enterprise organisations, it aims to give local businesses the chance to pitch for a range of investment types, from startup loans to multi-million pound equity funding.

The Innovate UK and North East LEP-backed programme is part of a wider campaign by VentureFest to support innovation in the region and increase investment opportunities for the region’s businesses.

Ahead of the event, Executive Director at FinanceCamp, Simon Green, said: “There has been an overwhelming response by the investment community to the concept of FinanceCamp, with dozens of funders excited by the prospect of meeting so many exciting businesses on one day.

“There’s nothing quite like FinanceCamp across the UK, helping businesses with understanding their funding options, preparing them to meet with investors and then providing the environment to connect with suitable sources of funding.”

The full day’s programme will see a range of one-to-one investor meetings, workshops and speeches from keynote speakers including Mark Fahy of the London Stock Exchange, Jeremy Middleton, and Professor Karl Coleman of Applied Graphene Materials.

Finally, participants will have a chance to pitch their business idea as part of the ‘Pitch Black’ pitching competition, with winners given the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of 30 London Angel investors.

“By bringing together such a variety of investors and finance experts, we can provide useful content for businesses of all sectors and stages of development. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of all this work in increased funding and business growth in the North East of England,” Simon added.