Member Article

Events management startup to grow in Newcastle following £120k backing

Digital event management startup Poptop has secured a £120k investment to further develop its services and expand its team in Newcastle.

The digital ‘concierge’ service allows customers to book a wide range of products and services, including musicians, DJs, caterers and marquees.

The site uses advanced data analytics to find the best fit for each customer, saving them the time and hassle of trawling through a directory.

£100k investment came from the Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept Fund, managed by Northstar Ventures, alongside an Angel Investor.

The company was founded by event planner Eugene Shestopal and developer Ignat Tkhorovskiy, who met in their native Ukraine before joining the Sirius Programme in 2015 and moving to Newcastle.

CEO Eugene said: “Despite being an international team, we are proud to call ourselves a North East business. The tech community in the region is one of the strongest we’ve come across, with well-networked hubs like Campus North providing a great surrounding for growing our company.

“We’ve found experienced mentors here, who we work with regularly. There’s also a strong digital infrastructure in the North East and we’ve been able to build better relationships with our investors as a result. Newcastle itself is also a city filled with students – it makes recruiting talented graduates much easier.”

Since receiving the investment, Poptop has already made one new hire, with more to follow.

Eugene continued: “We’re planning on growing our development team and customer service department in the coming months.”

Poptop’s platform works by asking customers a series of questions about the type of event they are planning. The answers are then analysed and filtered through an algorithm before a Concierge (customer service team member) selects the most relevant suppliers available.

The Concierge then provides the customer with quotes from all potential suppliers, confirms the preferred booking and continues to offer support via an online messaging system.

Richard Charnley, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, said: “The UK events industry is estimated to be worth £39bn, yet there are few options available for individuals who are looking to book suppliers themselves. Poptop provides customers with support and advice, without the prohibitive costs usually associated with an events management service.”