North Yorkshire Stars Investment Readiness Programme Concludes with Resounding Success

The York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub achieved a significant milestone with the conclusion of its North Yorkshire Stars investment readiness programme. Designed to offer substantive business support and create a lasting positive impact, the programme’s objective was realised as 11 small businesses from across North Yorkshire pitched for a total of £1.4 million to a panel of eight investors, including angel investors, debt funders, and equity funders.

The North Yorkshire Stars programme, delivered by Lifted Ventures, aimed to prepare start-ups and early-stage businesses for investment readiness. It used a comprehensive approach, including how to pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists, as well as focusing on debt, grants, and equity funding. The 14-hour programme supported fifteen businesses, offering both group workshops and one-on-one sessions. The diversity of the founders and the range of industries represented underscored the programme’s inclusive and broad-reaching impact.

“It was fabulous to see the advances the group have made since the first workshop,” shared Growth Hub Delivery Manager Simon Middleton. “Pitches were delivered with confidence & passion and it created the impact that we hoped to witness. There were still nerves but that’s no bad thing. It was great to see passion from owners sharing their ambitions.”

Heartfelt congratulations were extended to all the participating businesses. Their primary goal was to narrate their stories and forge meaningful connections, a goal they achieved with aplomb. The Growth Hub looks forward to seeing how these newly formed investor relationships will develop in the coming weeks.

This successful culmination of the North Yorkshire Stars investment readiness programme marks a promising start for the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub’s mission to support and uplift local businesses, paving the way for future success stories in the region.

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