Cashing in by unlocking problems (From The Northern Echo)

Cashing in by unlocking problems

1:06pm Monday 23rd February 2009 in

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MORE than 30 technology companies have already expressed an interest in pitching for up to £1m at a NorthEast event.

Venture capitalists from across the country will be attending the Secure Futures Investment Conference, in Sedgefield, County Durham, where they will see pitches from North-East businesses which are producing answers to some of Britain's most pressing security problems.

Connect North East, which is organising the securitythemed conference at Hardwick Hall Hotel on April 28, has urged companies to sign up and bid for between £250,000 and £1m of funding each. Nine companies will then be selected to go before the investors on the day.

More than 30 companies in the region have expressed an interest.

To help would-be pitchers, Connect North East has organised a series of workshops ahead of the conference, with the first on Thursday at the Newcastle offices of NorthStar Equity Investors.

Caroline Theobald, managing director of Bridge Club Limited, which is delivering the Connect North East project, said: "The conference is an opportunity to attract serious amounts of money to fund the exciting innovations that are taking place in the North-East - and to ensure they remain in the region.

"We're throwing the gauntlet down to companies to step forward and pitch before a series of venture capitalists and investors.

"There may be a recession but there is always the money around to invest in bright ideas."

Formore information about the events and to sign up as a pitcher, go to connectnorth east. com