TechWM, the organisation driving growth of the West Midlands tech sector, has further strengthened its cross-city partnerships with the appointment of four new patrons.
Rigby Group, SCC, Haatch and Midven have been welcomed on board, with ambitions to help make the West Midlands a global tech superpower by 2030.
Bringing their expertise and business insights to the regional sector, each patron will offer wider support to the ecosystem: transforming investment, amplifying innovation and connecting startups with industry leaders within the region.
As the biggest employers within the region, Rigby Group and its cornerstone IT services business SCC are seeking to support the region’s tech sector to achieve new heights of innovation and bridge the skills gap.
Their patronage will allow for the 144,000 people working in tech within the region to have greater opportunities to develop and evolve within the ever-growing sector.
Haatch and Midven – part of Future Planet Capital – join as patrons with the aim to boost the West Midlands investment space, improving the viability of startups in the region.
With the tech sector in the West Midlands being valued at £15.3 billion, this patronage will ensure that the rapid growth and investment seen in the region continues, particularly for startups aiming to scale.
“These partnerships will be transformational for both TechWM as an organisation and the West Midlands as a region, allowing us to turbocharge the support we can offer our tech startups and scaleups,” said Yiannis Maos MBE, founder and CEO at TechWM.
“We know that the West Midlands is one of the best places to start a tech business – the 2,797 new tech companies founded in the last year alone makes that abundantly clear.
“However, we want to ensure that it’s also the best place to scale a tech business; in turn bolstering the regional economy, creating new job opportunities, and cementing the region’s reputation as a global tech superpower.
“By being able to tap into the expertise of our patrons – all of whom have themselves grown massively in the West Midlands – TechWM hopes that the businesses in our ecosystem can scale even more quickly and sustainably than before.”
As part of their successful patron partnerships, Rigby Group, SCC, Haatch, and Midven are powering the One to Win competition alongside TechWM. Launched during London Tech Week, One to Win was announced to supercharge the next generation of tech business in the West Midlands, with £1 million up for grabs.
The pitch prize money will amplify a local tech business to join the plethora of success stories emerging from the region. Backed by an impressive roster of investors, stakeholders, and key tech figures, the pitch competition further cements the West Midlands’ spot as one of the most exciting up-and-coming tech hubs.
For those who might not meet the criteria, One to Win still presents a unique opportunity to boost tech businesses. Tech startups who enter and aren’t eligible to officially compete will still get accelerator guidance, connection opportunities, and access to workshops and mentors all unique to the One to Win process.
With less than two weeks until entries close, Maos is encouraging tech businesses to take the next steps in their growth journey.
“One to Win is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for some of the most exciting up-and-coming names in the regional tech sector to receive a game-changing investment,” he said.
“We’ve already seen a dynamic set of exciting applicants, but there’s still time to enter before the judging process commences. We’ll see you all in October for the pitch day, before we crown a worthy winner.”