A landmark partnership between two prominent Northern organisations will offer start-up businesses direct access to world-class entrepreneurs and advisers to accelerate their growth and help prepare them for investment.
Innovation hub HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology at MediaCityUK, is collaborating with TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) UK North, one of the largest entrepreneur networks in the world.
HOST offers a unique entrepreneur-led approach and alongside TiE UK North, it will provide emerging business in the region with personalised leadership support and mentoring.
TiE UK North will become a HOST industry partner to support young businesses with specialist expertise from experienced entrepreneurs through one-to-ones, speaker-led sessions, drop-ins and roundtable events.
Start-up businesses from the HOST community will also have access to TiE’s investment readiness support and learning through ‘friendly dragon’ sessions as part of the hub’s innovation and business growth programme.
Mo Isap, CEO of IN4.0 Group, the operators of HOST, will become a TiE entrepreneur charter member and Vikas Shah MBE, board member of TiE UK North is joining HOST as head of entrepreneurship.
Former president of TiE UK North and CEO of Swiscot Group, Vikas, is a respected speaker on entrepreneurship, business and social issues, and most recently authored a book collating his personal interviews with celebrities and public figures.
Mo said: “HOST is proud to be partnering with TiE UK North and with its impressive global reach, this collaboration will hugely benefit the innovation community at HOST and the wider Northern ecosystem. We are also excited to welcome Vikas to the HOST team, where he will be instrumental as an ambassador for all of the training and programmes we are developing to support and grow entrepreneurship across the North West regions.
“This impactful partnership will bring together world-leading entrepreneurs to provide key mentoring, leadership and funding support to start-ups, nurturing the next generation of diverse talent and our future business leaders.”
Tony Walker, President of TiE UK North, said: “We are thrilled for TiE UK North to join forces with HOST, it is an amazing organisation with a wonderful, revitalised building. We look forward to developing our joint focus on innovation support for entrepreneurial people and businesses, especially for start-ups and SMEs.
“It’s critical organisations like ours come together to help encourage more entrepreneurs and grow our way out of the pandemic and create a vibrant regional ecosystem with global ambition. Mo and his HOST team are primed to add value to our events and activities and enhance our already esteemed board membership. I am personally looking forwards to us holding physical events once again on the 7th floor of HOST, as it’s such an iconic location and to have our communities link up with the support available there.”
