Member Article

Gateshead’s Transmit Start-Ups hits £10m support milestone

Gateshead-based Transmit Start-Ups has announced the delivery of over £10m worth of startup loans, supporting over 1,200 entrepreneurs across England and Scotland.

The milestone comes as the firm has completed three years as a delivery partner for the Government’s £310m Start Up Loans programme, with the company offering entrepreneurs and new businesses mentoring as well as financial support.

To date, businesses supported by Transmit Start-Ups have created thousands of new jobs in the region across a range of industries, with 32 per cent of all loan applications coming from the North East.

42 percent of Transmit Start-Ups loan recipients have started their own businesses from full-time employment, while 13 per cent are starting their own business after being unemployed for a period of time.

Richard Myers, commercial director of Transmit Start-Ups said: “We ourselves only started up three years ago and have been on our own start-up journey. To reach this landmark of providing over £10,000,000 to more than 1,200 entrepreneurs under the Start Up Loans programme is incredible.

“We are extremely proud of all of the businesses we have helped both with our start-up loans and business mentoring. We’re approached with different ideas from aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners every day and it is amazing to be able to make so many of these dreams and ideas become a reality.

“The number of applications we receive has increased month-on-month since we started, particularly in Scotland and across the North East, prompting us to open offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh so that we can meet demand and respond to applications quickly.”

Milestone Managed

The recipient of the loan that broke the ten-million-pound milestone is moo pie, run by Alnwick-born, 27-year-old Emma Riddell, who sells gelato from a bike at the Tram Stop Market in Leith, Edinburgh.

A graduate from both the Gelato University in Bologna, Italy, and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Miss Riddell has almost 10 years’ customer-facing experience working in the retail and food & drink sectors before deciding to start up on her own.

Through a loan from Transmit Start Ups, she was able to fund much-needed equipment to get her business idea up and running, including a state-of-the-art batch freezer from Italy’s leading ice-cream equipment maker.

Commenting on being the milestone recipient, moo pie founder Emma Riddell, says: “I was delighted when I found out that my start-up loan application had been accepted. I relish a challenge and having worked in customer-facing roles for so long I felt this was the perfect time for me to start-up by myself.

“I feel there is a gap in the market to sell quality, Italian gelato with a unique twist. It’s amazing to think that my start-up loan broke the £10m barrier for Transmit Start-Ups. I really hope this will inspire others to take that first step on their own startup journey.”

Richard Myers added: “Emma is a great example of one of these entrepreneurs and we look forward to mentoring and watching her success as she builds her own business.”