APEX launches new growth platform

A North East business collaboration platform has unveiled the next phase of its growth, with plans to connect regional networks, communities and support organisations more effectively.

APEX has launched Phase 2 of its model, Vantage Communities, a new platform designed to help businesses access opportunities, build partnerships and strengthen collaboration across the region.

The initiative follows the launch of APEX in January 2026 and has been developed by The Collective founders Claire Pickersgill and Julie Turnbull alongside the team behind Is This You? – John Forth, Phil Gray, David Beharall and Steve Beharall.

Vantage Communities has been created to sit across the existing business ecosystem, linking networking groups, founder communities, investor networks, sector organisations, innovation hubs and support programmes.

Rather than replacing existing groups, the platform is designed to help them retain their own identity while becoming part of a wider connected infrastructure.

Founders say the approach will create stronger pathways between businesses, investors, corporates and support organisations, while increasing collaboration, partnership creation and regional visibility.

Claire said: “We are seeing a fundamental shift in how businesses grow. 

“It is no longer just about individual networks; it is about connected ecosystems. 

“Vantage Communities creates the infrastructure for that shift, where collaboration becomes intentional, visible, and accessible across the entire region.

“The North East has everything it needs to become one of the UK’s strongest collaborative business regions. 

“The talent is already here, the ambition is already here, and Vantage Communities is about bringing those pieces together.”

Julie added: “We’ve built communities where people feel seen, supported, and connected and now we’re taking that to a regional level. 

“Vantage Communities has the potential to completely reshape how businesses collaborate across the North East and beyond.

“Growth now happens through access, relationships, and shared opportunity. 

“This platform ensures that whether you are part of a small founder community or a large investor network, you are connected into something much bigger and that creates real, tangible opportunity.”

The launch comes during a period of momentum for the organisations behind APEX. 

Recently named a finalist in the Business IQ Awards, The Collective has been recognised for its work around employee wellbeing and support for the North East business community, while Is This You? has secured a contract with FTSE 100 company Sage.

Developers are working with strategic partners across the region to build the platform, with longer-term ambitions to expand the model into other parts of the UK.

To support the next phase of development, the APEX team is seeking further regional backing and strategic partnerships.

John said: “This is about removing fragmentation. 

“Businesses don’t grow in isolation; they grow through connection. 

“By linking communities together, we create more moments where the right people are in the same ‘room’ at the right time.”

Phil added: “This is for every part of the ecosystem — networking groups, investor communities, sector hubs, innovation programmes and established organisations. 

“When these are connected, the region becomes far more powerful than the sum of its parts.”

David added: “This is a defining moment. 

“Unlike traditional networking models, Vantage Communities is designed to strengthen existing communities rather than compete with them.”

The wider aim is to establish the North East as a blueprint for a more connected regional economy, with collaboration positioned as a central driver of business growth.

The initiative also aligns with regional priorities around inclusive growth, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership development, workforce wellbeing and cross-sector collaboration.

Julie added: “We have an opportunity to create something genuinely transformational, a connected ecosystem where no business is isolated from opportunity, and where access, collaboration and connection drive the next wave of growth in the North East.”

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