Nathan Guest from VWV with Charlie Guy from LettUs Grow

LettUs Grow Wins Best Elevator Pitch at SETsquared Bristol’s Tech-Xpo 2018

• LettUs Grow chosen as winner out of six pitches
• Tech-Xpo is an annual showcase for the best of Bristol’s high-tech sector. 17 companies exhibited at the event
• VVW, Bristol Private Equity Club, ForrestBrown, and Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator sponsored Tech-Xpo 2018

LettUs Grow scooped the top prize of ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ last night at SETsquared Bristol’s annual Tech-Xpo event, which was held at Circomedia Bristol. The start-up, which designs irrigation and control technology for vertical farms, was one of six tech start-ups to pitch at the event, with the audience using a digital voting system to crown the winner.

17 companies, including AutonoMe, Interactive Scientific, and YellowDog, exhibited to a crowd of investors, academics, and business leaders. The six pitching companies were filmed as they presented their 60-second speed session, with the aim of winning over delegates, and winning the ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ award.

Charlie Guy, Managing Director of LettUs Grow who delivered their winning pitch, collected the prize for their patent-pending aeroponic technology, which delivers consistently high yields for vertical farms. Aeroponics is a methodology of growing plants without soil, which allows greater oxygenation to the roots, delivering better flavour and faster growth, and using 95% less water than traditional agriculture.

Charlie Guy said:

“We’re absolutely over the moon to have won the ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ at SETsquared’s Tech-Xpo 2018. This is a really exciting time for us as a business, the team is growing, and building Europe’s first aeroponic vertical farm, and we’re really excited to see what comes next.”

Commenting on LettUs Grow’s win, SETsquared Bristol Centre Director, Emma Thorn, said:

“All of our ventures worked hard to refine their impressive 60-second pitches. Charlie swayed the audience with their alternative approach to sustainable agriculture, and I am delighted for LettUs Grow on their well-deserved win. ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ is an accolade to be proud of, and we hope to see LettUs Grow go on to achieve the success they deserve.”

Tech-Xpo 2018 is sponsored by VWV, Bristol Private Equity Club, ForrestBrown, and Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator. Nathan Guest, Corporate Partner and Head of VWV’s Technology sector, said:

“We are proud to be the main sponsor of SETsquared Bristol’s annual Tech-Xpo for the eighth consecutive year. The event is a chance for us to reinforce our commitment to SETsquared and the companies and entrepreneurs it supports. The past 12-months have been brilliant for SETsquared Bristol, with many of its ventures drawing significant investments. SETsquared forms the foundations of our national technology sector business, and I am delighted to present LettUs Grow with the VWV ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ award.”

Last year’s winner, Lisa Matthews, Founder of HellyHolly, pitched for their chatbot Kairo, the first chat-based assistant for work and home. Lisa has just been announced as one of the Sunday Telegraph’s Top 50 Women in Engineering, which aims to change perceptions and encourage young women to consider engineering careers. Previous winners, including Becky Sage from Interactive Scientific and Gareth Williams from YellowDog, have gone on to secure significant investments, and have won national tech awards from Oracle and Innovate UK.

As with previous years, Tech-Xpo 2018 was filmed, you can watch the 8 minute video below or watch the trailer on YouTube. SETsquared Bristol have also launched their own standalone website at the event, making it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs with tech innovation to bring their ideas to a commercial reality. For more information about how to apply, visit the website here.

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