Companies invited to pitch for share of regional investment

» INNOVATIVE companies are being invited to pitch to investors to raise investment from £150,000-£2million.

Pitchfest South West, is delivered by Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), in partnership with Innovate UK and supported by the Knowledge Transfer Network.

The programme offers intensive investment and pitch training to scaling businesses to prepare them to pitch ‘live’ to an audience of real investors.

EEN finance specialist Ed Tellwright said: “Pitchfest really is the business opportunity of a lifetime for companies in Gloucestershire to pitch for financial support to private investors who will be investing their own personal funds.

“The investors we have gathered together in the South West are high-net worth individuals who have generally owned or run businesses.

“These investors don’t just want to invest their money alone. They want to give something back to the local community and they will probably be able to open business doors for the firms they support.”

Companies will be interviewed before being selected to attend pitch training days in early September.

Places are limited to 20 companies from which 10 businesses from the South West will be selected to pitch at two investor showcases in Bristol and Exeter in October.

“The businesses we are targeting for Pitchfest will be highly innovative scale-up businesses,” said Mr Tellwright.

“The financial support from the investors is designed to take a company’s idea or product and commercialise it successfully.”

It is free to enter and for more information, visit pitchfestsw2019.eventbrite.co.uk or email Ed Tellwright ed.tellwright@businesswest.co.uk.