Tech Nation has opened applications for its three flagship tech company growth programmes: Rising Stars 3.0, Upscale 6.0 and Future Fifty 9.0.
The tech industry has fared surprisingly well during the pandemic, with demand for FinTech and digital transformation services rising as businesses continue to adapt to changing circumstances. Most tech start-ups in Northern Ireland have adapted well to remote work, but all tech firms could still benefit from specialist help.
Tech Nation runs three main growth programmes for early-stage tech companies, roughly aimed at companies in the Seed, Series A, and Series B+ stages of their investment lifecycles. The Rising Stars 3.0, Upscale 6.0, and Future Fifty 9.0 schemes have now opened for applications, offering specialised support, networking opportunities, and access to industry experts.
Tech Nation Head of Programmes Parveen Dhanda commented on the support: "Now more than ever, it is important that the companies we support through our Tech Nation flagship growth programmes learn from their peers as well as those who have scaled digital companies. We have a strong network of 600 companies who have been through our programmes at different stages of their growth. Collectively they have raised £20 Bn, had 9 IPOs and over 30 M&As."
All of the schemes are free to join and don't take an equity stake in your business. See below for more information, or head over to the Tech Nation page to apply.
Rising Stars 3.0:
The Rising Stars programme is a pitching competition designed for early stage tech startups in the UK at the Seed to pre-Series-A funding stage and generating less than £1m in annual revenue. It's open to all digital tech businesses with innovative products of services to sell and at least one active client or a pilot scheme in place.
Companies in this scheme must have been incorporated between 1 and 3 years, must be headquartered in the UK, and must be able to demonstrate that they have market traction. This year's edition of the programme is going fully virtual due to the pandemic, and is expanding the number of spots available.
Upscale 6.0
The Upscale programme is aimed at mid-stage tech companies based in the UK, with the goal of accelerating their growth and solving key growth challenges. The programme will give companies access to Upscale’s scale coaches and experts and opportunities to network with peers, and it doesn't take an equity stake in businesses that join the scheme.
The scheme is suitable for VC-backed tech firms that have already raised a Series A funding round or are generating revenues of £1.5m to £5m. Companies must be headquartered in the UK, and should be aiming to rapidly increase team size and be thinking about expanding its customer base. Typically firms that join this scheme are already experiencing 10% mon-on-month growth and want to trade internationally
Future Fifty 9.0
Future Fifty is designed to support late-stage growth in the tech sector by supporting its founders and leadership. The programme offers peer-to-peer learning with other experienced tech entrepreneurs, in-depth masterclass sessions run by experienced coaches, and more.
This scheme is designed for companies at the series B+ funding stage or that are making over £5m in annual revenues from their tech products and services. The companies involved must be headquartered in the UK and are expected to be achieving 50% year-on-year growth, with big long-term ambitions.
Source: Tech Nation
