There are plenty of reasons to be cautious about AI. People are rightly asking what it means for jobs, misinformation, privacy and the speed at which everything is moving. Those concerns deserve serious attention, particularly from those of us building and investing in the technology.
But I think another part of the story deserves more attention: the founders using AI to tackle problems that have frustrated industries for years.
And some of the most interesting work is happening right here in the North West.
It’s about the problem, not the technology
We recently held our first Community Day at EHE Venture Studio, bringing together founders from across our portfolio. It was genuinely inspiring to see the energy and ambition in the room, and particularly how focused everyone was on solving real problems.
These are businesses at different stages, working in different markets, but what struck me was that the conversations weren’t really about AI itself. They were about the problems founders were trying to solve and how technology could help them do things differently.
That reflects something we see regularly when meeting founders and assessing investment opportunities.
Some of the biggest opportunities in AI may not come from people who know the most about the technology. They may come from people who’ve spent years working in an industry, understand its frustrations first-hand, and can now do something about them.
That’s an important distinction for investors, too. It’s easy to be impressed by clever technology, but there’s a more fundamental question worth asking: does it solve a problem people genuinely need solved?
What does AI as a force for good actually mean?
I don’t think AI as a force for good has to mean solving the world’s biggest problems overnight. Quite often, it’s about doing something practical that makes a real difference to people’s lives.
Take Spotlight Pathology, a business we’ve backed through EHE. Originally spun out of the University of Manchester and now based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, its team is developing AI technology to help pathologists diagnose blood cancers more quickly and consistently.
With increasing pressure on diagnostic services and a shortage of specialist pathologists, the potential to reduce delays and help patients get treatment sooner is significant.
What I particularly like about Spotlight is the combination of clinical knowledge and technical expertise. The founders understood the problem and recognised how AI could help address it.
For me, that’s a compelling example of AI being used for good and the kind of business I think we should be building more of in the North West.
Of course, positive intentions aren’t enough. The technology has to work, be used responsibly and deliver meaningful benefits. And if a business is going to make a lasting difference, it also needs to be commercially sustainable. Once you have all of these elements, you have a pretty compelling proposition.
The North West has an opportunity
We’re well placed to produce more businesses like this.
The North West has strong universities, technical talent and established industries, from healthcare and manufacturing to financial services and agriculture. There’s valuable expertise here, alongside longstanding challenges that AI could help address.
We don’t need to become a smaller version of London or Silicon Valley. We should build on what already makes this region strong.
There are encouraging signs. According to the British Business Bank, equity investment in the North West grew by 82 per cent in 2025. Yet London still attracted 57 per cent of the UK’s smaller business equity investment.
There’s clearly more work to do.
And while access to capital matters, founders need more than a cheque. They need experienced people around them, technical and commercial support, and opportunities to reach customers. That support has to continue well beyond the initial investment.
If we can bring those ingredients together, we have a real opportunity to build businesses that grow, make a difference and remain rooted in the region.
At EHE, we’re looking ahead to our next cohort of AI-native businesses, bringing together investment, technical expertise and practical support to help founders develop and grow. If you’re building something that tackles a genuine problem, we’d like to hear from you.
Because ultimately, the value of AI won’t be determined by how impressive the technology looks. It’ll be determined by what people actually do with it.
AI won’t do good by itself. Founders will. And I think the North West has a real opportunity to lead the way.
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