Twelve entrepreneurs from Bath have celebrated after being announced within the top 50 entrepreneurs of global number one university business incubator, SETsquared at the House of Commons.
The entrepreneurs honoured from Bath were:
- Glenn Smith and Sebastian Toke-Nichols from Cloudfind;
- Paul Kane from CommunityDNS;
- Nicola Chilman and Tom Minor from EZ Education;
- Peter Davies from Green Running;
- Dan Murray from Industrial Phycology
- Jake Ronay from Living Map;
- Alister Rollins from MoveGB;
- Sampson Hu from Smart Antenna Technologies;
- Will Franks and Pete Keevill from Ubiquisys;
- Nick East from Zynstra.
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, two Bath entrepreneurs were listed as ‘Ones to Watch’: James Courtney from Lux, and Tom Dewhurst from Ordoo.
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 29th 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.”
Ali Hadavizadeh, Deputy Head of Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Bath Innovation Centre, said: “Tech entrepreneurs and high-growth companies are vital to the future of the UK economy. Bath 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 Bath on the global innovation map.”