The Investment Activator Programme (IAP) pilot has launched a new website for founders and investors which highlights investment successes in the South West region and provides a toolkit of resources to those looking for funding.

The Investment Activator Programme was launched in January 2020 after 8 partners were brought together to support and stimulate equity investment into the South West region. The aim of the IAP was to bring together various activities that had been taking place in the region under one umbrella and add capacity to these to help better prepare early-stage companies for investment and welcome investors to the region.

The new site highlights the recent raises and areas of regional specialism, as well as providing links to the funds, grants and pots available for founders to tap into.

2020 Successes

Despite the tumultuous year, the investment landscape in 2020 has been remarkably robust, with significant amounts raised by previously supported SETsquared Bristol members, Graphcore ($222m) and Brightpearl (£33m), amongst many others. Plus new funds landed in the form of the £15m Science Creates EIS Fund focussed on deeptech startups and £10m co-investment fund from Newable to sit alongside Bristol Private Equity Club’s angel investments.

The Investment Activator Programme itself delivered a number of activities in 2020:

• of events delivered 21
• of event attendees 825 (1257 registrants)
• of articles on investment related news 62
• of companies pitching directly to investors 22
• of one pagers put in front of investors (Quarterly Investment Briefings) 76
• of companies benefitting from pitch training (Pitch Mes and Pitching Workshop) 45

While it’s hard to quantify the amount of investment that can be linked to the IAP, there’s no denying the sheer volume of activity and numbers of companies that have been supported.

Helen Tanner, Founder and CEO of SETsquared Bristol member, Data3, says:

“The IAP has provided us with a fantastic platform to network and raise our profile in the investor community.”

Marty Reid, Head of Engine Shed, says:

“The pilot has already demonstrated the positive impact of a collaborative regional approach to simplifying connections between investor communities and our fantastic breadth of early stage tech and creative companies. The new site will further help people find the right investment options with clear signposting to services, events or activity focused on key market sectors.”

To find out more about the IAP and the wider investment landscape – check out the new website here.

To find out more about the IAP partners – http://invest-southwest.com/our-partners/

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