Exeter entrepreneurs and SETsquared staff celebrate the top 50 announcement

Exeter entrepreneurs on exclusive list of top 50 honoured at House of Commons

Eight entrepreneurs from Exeter celebrated being announced within the top 50 entrepreneurs of global number one university business incubator, SETsquared at the House of Commons.

The entrepreneurs honoured from Exeter are:
•    Olivia Champion of BioSystems
•    Andrew Stamp of Brain in Hand
•    Darren Westlake and Luke Lang of Crowdcube
•    Jacob Marsh of ModMyPi
•    John James of SeeDATA
•    Philippe Young of Simpleware
•    Iain Fairbairn of Theta Technologies

The entrepreneurs were named on an exclusive list selected from over 1,000 entrepreneurs who have been supported by SETsquared during the last 15 years.

In addition, three Exeter entrepreneurs were listed as ‘Ones to Watch’: Matt Morley of Explain, Toby Mottram of Milkalyser and Oliver Blackwell of Thalamus Health.

SETsquared supports high growth tech companies that have significant economic impact, having collectively raised over £1bn of investment and created over 9,000 jobs.

The announcement took place on 29 March - the historic day that Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 to leave the EU - serving as a reminder of the UK’s strength in innovation and entrepreneurship in the global market.
The companies honoured have reached milestone achievements, including raising significant investment, exporting products globally, creating thousands of jobs or achieving a world first.

SETsquared worked with an expert panel of investors and innovation corporate leaders to select the Top 50 Entrepreneur which includes companies from across various industries such as health, green technology and 5G and wireless communication.
 
Michael Queen, an investor on the panel, said: “Creating a successful business requires talented entrepreneurs and a great idea but this isn’t enough. SETsquared acts as a catalyst providing support, logistics, training and mentoring to turn dreams into reality.

“Over the last 15 years, SETsquared has made a major contribution to building a dynamic technology based business sector in the UK.”
 
The reception at the House of Commons was an opportunity for the entrepreneurs to celebrate their achievements along with MPs and special guests, as well as sharing stories on how they have successfully raised investment, exported products globally or had a major impact on their industry.
 
Simon Bond, Innovation Director at SETsquared, said: “When I look back on the last 15 years, I am overwhelmed by the talent and achievements of the entrepreneurs that SETsquared has supported.

“They have brought world-leading innovations to market and these have been exported across the globe. SETsquared has provided support and a network for these entrepreneurs including access to mentors, experts, international markets and investors, and they are now out there doing SETsquared and the UK proud.”

Joe Pearce, Head of Business Support at SETsquared’s centre in Exeter, said: “Tech entrepreneurs and high-growth companies are vital to the future of the UK economy. Exeter has always had a vibrant and thriving culture of innovation but without the right support these companies will not grow into global leaders. SETsquared has played a key role in supporting tech companies in the south of England, helping put Exeter on the global innovation map.”

Date: 27 April 2017