Issue #232: GlycanAge raises $4.2m; Geoteric acquired
Today we catchup on some of the recent tech developments across our ecosystem that you might have missed.
Morning all, I hope you’ve had a good week. I want to start today by saying thank you to a lot of our readers who got in touch after last week’s issue about Ian. It wasn’t a common Digest and I was anxious how it would land. Thank you.
The Digest exists to keep you all informed and connected to the North East tech scene. Admittedly, there are issues where I do miss some stories or perhaps don’t give enough spotlight to some occurrences. And hey when that inevitably happens, just reach out and flag what you think needs to be covered. DMs are open, as the kids say!
Last week I included a recent story about Plexus Innovation’s acquisition but, with other words needing to be written, I didn’t get a chance to talk about it properly. It’s important that I do. I first came across Plexus early in the pandemic, sure they’d been around before that but the journey since has been brilliant.
The Durham-based innovator has been rolling out its patented ‘Guardian’ technology to improve the state of play in areas like health and social care. Plexus is a big North East tech success story and more proof you can start, grow and even sell a disruptive, high potential business in these here hills! I also want to give a nod to the good folks at The North East Fund for supporting Plexus throughout. The team initially raised £400k in 2020 and then a further £480k in 2022, before last week announcing they’d been acquired by HSL Compliance.
Elsewhere this week we see that another North East software company has been acquired, there’s more biotech success to cheer and the Ignite Accelerator reveals the new cohort of early-stage teams it’s supporting. I’m particularly excited at the minute where science and technology are coming together in the region, sparking innovation and entrepreneurship. So next time I’m asked, much happening up in the North East Jamie? I can put my best smirk-face emoji on and reply, where do I start?
Community-wise if you want to meet people, folks who are literally featured in this newsletter or indeed people doing cool things in regional tech, I’d say Silicon Mingle is a good place to start. Why not catchup with the guys this thursday at The Town Wall pub, Newcastle?
Finally our Women in Tech feature continues this week. If there are other females in the North East tech scene you’d like to shoutout, just get in touch. Have a well rested weekend, Jamie
This week’s news
Tyneside biotech startup GlycanAge completes $4.2m fundraise
Nordic takeover at Newcastle EnergyTech firm Geoteric
Six figure investment into PolyPhotonix
University spin-out launches £18m research programme
Newcells Biotech raises £2.35m for lab models that help avoid animal testing
Proptech firm launches national recruitment drive
Petards toasts £350k deal with one of UK's largest police forces
Middlesbrough named one of Europe's best 'small cities' for business investment
Features
In my column for The QT this week, I wrote about Stephen ‘Mitch’ Mitchell who is the founder of workforce management software startup SQCDP. I’d included Mitch’s raise in a recent Digest and while I’d met him before, I wanted to know more about Mitch himself and why he actually does what he does. If you know Mitch, you’ll know he’s a bit of a cheeky chappy character. But as I found out, he’s so much more. Have a read if you like!
Speaking of the QT, I also read a great feature on entrepreneur Louise Thompson, who is the founder of award-winning app MyFolks which aims to transform social care for the better. Read all about it here.
North East fund helps to create more than 300 jobs as grants top £2.2m
Former British Business Investments boss joins Northstar
#IWD Part 2
A section championing the women in tech shaping our sector for the better.
This week we say a big thanks to Friend of the Digest Paula Harrison, Sales and Marketing Director, Layers Studio, for submitting the following names and comments to us:
Ashmita Randhawa, Jo York, Jess Williams, Lynsey Harbottle, Lyndsey Britton-Lee, Rojin Yarahmadi
‘There are so many women I think should be celebrated,’ says Paula. Here are a few…
- Lynsey Harbottle and Lyndsey Britton-Lee: The work they are doing around diversity and inclusion, and making workplaces more equitable deserved to be celebrated not just encouraged;
- Jo York: for the work she is doing to champion the North East Tech Sector as well as championing female founders and providing mentorship;
- Jess Williams: because as well as building an incredible (and sustainable) business she is also a force to be reckoned with in the world of mentoring and with her charitable work;
- Ashmita Randhawa: not only one of the most knowledgeable people in the sector but one of the most generous with her time and introductions;
- Rojin Yarahmadi: is a FORCE! She is a ball of positivity that gets involved in talks, panels etc when she is most definitely short on time already, for the purpose of elevating the sector and the region.
Thanks to Paula, who is also deserving of recognition herself, for her kind words. I’ll put all submissions into a more formalised article which I will release on International Women’s Day to help celebrate the female voices doing great work.
Post of the Week
