London angel investment society launches new branch in major Yorkshire city

The League of Angels Limited has launched its Yorkshire branch at Leeds’ Dakota Hotel.

The League is an established platform based in London for angel investors to share expertise in a society.

The Yorkshire event follows on from the recent official launch of the League at Royal Hospital Chelsea in London attended by the League’s Ambassador, HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

The League believes that there are untapped opportunities in the regions outside of London. The Northern Powerhouse concept recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, inspired by the Randstad region in the Netherlands and Ruhr region in Germany.

The League’s Yorkshire branch will be headed by Keith Madeley MBE, who will be the contact for businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and League members based in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

Keith said: “Northern universities are producing brilliant young minds with the ideas to take Yorkshire into the future.

“However, these types of entrepreneurs typically lack the access to capital to transform their ideas into businesses and to bring prosperity to this region of England with its proud economic heritage.

“The launch of the League in the North means that early stage businesses as well as other entrepreneurs now have a forum to be introduced to and enter discussions with angel investors who can provide both the funding and the experience that they need.”

Andy Davidson, head of business relations at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), addressed the event.

He highlighted that the NPP believes that by building the right framework, by 2060 the northern economy could be worth £100bn more and have 850,000 more jobs it otherwise would not have had.

The League aims to link stakeholders within Yorkshire and champion regional entrepreneurs and businesses more generally.

Barney Battles, CEO of the League of Angels, concluded: “A top priority for the League is to reach out to female entrepreneurs in the region who seek growth capital or an international channel to develop their export opportunities.

“More than 1,000 businesses are started every day in Britain, but only 19 per cent of SME employers were majority-led by women.

“The League will seek to mentor young entrepreneurs throughout the region as they seek to develop their business ideas.”