Exeter to host budding entrepreneurs in start-up weekend

Start-up weekend will connect local entrepreneurs, developers, designers and start-up enthusiasts with mentors and resources in the second event of its kind in the South West.

Throughout the course of the 54-hour event, attendees will pitch ideas, build teams and begin creating their own business. Teams will build a product or service and then present their idea to a panel of experts. Winning teams will have the opportunity to pitch at the Global Start-up Battle (GSB), the biggest start-up competition in the world, with events taking place in over 100 cities.

The event will be opened by John Beadle, Director of Start-up Weekend based in San Francisco. John said: “Start-up Weekend is an intense, action oriented, learn-by-doing event ready to equip participants with the skills and experience necessary to be an entrepreneur. The weekend creates a situation in which developers, designers and business people alike learn how to interact and function as a team.”

The event is open to anyone with a novel product, idea or code and with the drive to turn their ideas into a start-up business.

The weekend takes place from 20-22 November 2015 at University of Exeter’s Innovation Centre and will see start-up mentors on hand throughout the weekend to provide expertise and give talks on their experiences in the fast-paced world of startups.

University of Exeter alumni, Stewart Noakes, is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of TechHub, an entrepreneurial network which supports start-up businesses in Bangalore and Boston. Stewart is a firm supporter of Start-up Weekend and attends start-up events around the world.

Stewart said: “Anyone thinking about developing a new idea, either in a new business, or as a product or service from an existing business, can benefit from attending a Start-up Weekend. The weekend is a fantastic place to test the waters. It is one of the quickest ways to test an idea and determine whether a business is viable. Some of the start-ups I’ve met here are ready to compete on the global stage, indeed some already are”.

Robin Jackson, Director of the Innovation Centre said: “Since our first start-up event in July we are growing a strong Start-up community around Exeter and are seeking more participants to secure Exeter’s place on the map as a hub for smart businesses – a smart city”.

University of Exeter students and alumni can find out more and purchase subsidised tickets from Eventbrite. For more information please contact Natalie Collard.