Venturefest Yorkshire

PitchFest is an investment competition with a £5,000 cash prize and 12 months of support to realise your business plan.

It will also connect you with real investors, interested in your ideas. This competition is open to any business or individual in the Yorkshire region looking for support to develop innovative ideas, or to get investment to grow your ideas.

We've been through the first round, in which 48 companies applied.

We've had our Workshop Day ...

and here's the shortlist of 10 who have been selected to go through to the second round 'pitch-offs' :

Bookaroo - Simon Edwards & Dan Akers

Waterwall Limited ( Moti Lab ) - Richard O'Neill

Smart Stable Ltd - Kareem Baqai, Simon Klippel & Rowan Simms

Strip the Willow - Jon Johnson

Supply Box - Chloe Mortimer

Desi High Street - Kuljit Thiaray

Myroo Skincare - Rachael Dunseath

ClearSky Medical Diagnostics - Dr Stephen Smith

InspirAbility - Shamila Akhtar

Rocket Horse Ltd (Kwizzbit) - Mark Walsh

These teams will be now be attending our Workshop Day on 30th September hosted by Hiscox, where they will get training, advice and help to fine-tune both their business case and their pitches.

Next step is the 'Pitch-Offs', where the 5 finalists will be selected to present in our live finals at Venturefest on 16th November.

Stage 2: The Pitch-Off
11th Oct '16

In the second round, our 10 short-list-ers were asked to make a 5 minute video-pitch.

On the basis of these, 5 finalists have now been selected from the shortlist of 10.

They are ...

Supply Box - Chloe Mortimer

Desi High Street - Kuljit Thiaray

Myroo Skincare - Rachael Dunseath

ClearSky Medical Diagnostics - Dr Stephen Smith

Rocket Horse Ltd (Kwizzbit) - Mark Walsh

These teams will be now be pitching in our live finals at Venturefest on 16th November, in front of the public, and investors.

There's a £5,000 cash prize for the winner, plus a tailored package of support for the next 12 months to help them realise their business goals.

The 5 finalists will also have a showcase stand at Venturefest - find them in the Innovation Showcase Zone.

Come along, meet them on the day, hear their pitches, cheer them on !

Stage 3: The Live Finals
16th Nov '16

Showcase: All 5 finalists get a free showcase stand at Venturefest Yorkshire (worth £1,000)
Public pitch competition: in the main auditorium, 11:00 - 12:00

Pitches = 5min + 3 min Q + A [x5]
'Peoples Prize' by audience vote
- Prize = Strategy Development package from Tendo (worth £3,000)
  (a series of sessions with a professional strategic development expert)
Overall Winner : chosen by judging panel
- Cash prize of £5,000
- Plus a 12 months business support package to help you realise your plans
- Assigned 2 local business mentors.
- Min 1/4ly meetings to provide advice, guidance & assistance
- 3 feature publications in partner business publications (after the event announcing the winner, and at 3 & 6 months) to report on progess & help promote the business.
- A free stand at Venturefest Yorkshire 2017 (worth at least £1,000)

The Investors Lounge
16th Nov '16

Connection to real investors.
Private meetings with interested investors.
Pre-arranged, based on investors expressing an interest from the portfolio of participating businesses.