Innovation Birmingham appoints three Entrepreneurs in Residence to drive tech and low carbon start-up.
David Roberts (Entrepreneur in Residence), David Hardman (CEO of Innovation Birmingham) and Richard Davies (Entrepreneur in Residence).
Innovation Birmingham Campus has appointed its first three Entrepreneurs in Residence to invest in and expand the successful Entrepreneurs for the Future programme. Clive Bawden, Richard Davies MBE, and David Roberts will have responsibility for driving and expanding the Campus’ business incubation activities, working with the 35 tech and low carbon start-ups that are created at the Campus each year.
Since November 2009, 70 new innovative technology businesses have been born in the Campus’ Entrepreneurs for the Future (e4f) centre, which to date have already created over 140 new employee and director positions. In addition, the Low Carbon Incubator Programme – run as part of the Europe-wide Climate Knowledge Innovation Community initiative – creates a further 10 start-up businesses each year.
The three Entrepreneurs in Residence will spend at least one day a week working with the start-up businesses.
Clive Bawden is the founder of Look After Business, a company which energises the sales and marketing activities of high growth businesses. Previously he was business development director of international corporate finance firm Catalyst, during which time he chaired the IoD Young Directors Forum and represented the UK at a G8 Young Entrepreneurs Summit.
Richard Davies MBE is the founder of climate change and sustainable energy ‘do tank’ Marches Energy Agency, which focuses on revenue generating products and services in the field of energy and climate change.
David Roberts is a co-founder of Droplet, a mobile phone app that lets people load money onto their phones and send payments for free. Previously, he was the youngest director at Tribal Group PLC where he helped grow the business to over 60 members of staff and £14 million turnover. He is also the founder of drProjects and Action Starter Limited; a software development company specialising in business processes and bespoke CRM. David was the winner of the Financial Category in the 2013 Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards.
Dr David Hardman MBE, CEO of Innovation Birmingham said: “We selected our first three Entrepreneurs in Residence from a very strong field of applicants. Having Clive, David and Richard based in the Entrepreneurs for the Future centre for one day a week will have a huge impact on the start-up businesses that we’re incubating.
“Following a newly introduced detailed diagnostic session that defines the start-ups and their individual needs, the Entrepreneurs in Residence will be using their experience and pool of contacts to provide tailored personal mentoring. This will turbo-charge the development of the start-up businesses based here, through support activities such as access to finance, sales and marketing, and growth strategy.
“The Innovation Birmingham Campus is widely regarded as the focal point of Greater Birmingham’s tech scene and this newly enhanced offering to start-up businesses will enable us to further engage and stimulate the region’s entrepreneurial community. Clive, David and Richard are passionate about sharing their experiences of getting it right in business, and indeed in getting it wrong. As role models and ambassadors, they will help to raise the profile of Birmingham’s entrepreneurial knowledge community.”
For more information visit www.innovationbham.com
