Issue #236: Charnley to depart Northstar
Today we report on the latest developments at North East Fund, flag Tech Nation's Rising Stars competition, wish Rick well and share a load of people news!
Morning all, hope you’re well. Apologies I’m a little late today, one forgets time differences when brisket and bourbon are front and centre…
News-wise this week it’s been announced that additional funding from the North East Fund will be available to develop companies that it has already supported. Meanwhile, NETPark’s expansion is moving forward and there’s good news for those who made it on to ORE Catapult’s tech acceleration programme.
Elsewhere Tech Nation has announced that the application deadline has been extended to enter its Rising Stars competition. With a reported prize package worth £170k up for grabs, startups looking to raise their profile across the UK are encouraged to get involved. You can find out more and apply here.
Finally, as you’ll see in our post of the week below, North East tech leader Rick Charnley has announced he is moving on from Northstar Ventures after 11 years.
Rick (pictured above) has played a huge role in both the region’s startup community and the wider tech ecosystem. His dedication to supporting founders and teams as they’ve started and grown has been second to none. On a personal note he’s someone I really respect, trust and draw inspiration from. Massive thanks Rick and good luck in your next role. We look forward to you continuing to play a big part in NE tech!
Until next Friday, folks. Thanks, Jamie
This week’s news
North East Fund extended into 2025
Trio of North East firms win places on ORE Catapult tech acceleration programme
Cyber security firm Precursor launches Newcastle base
Three North East unis secure £22.5m funding to collaborate on pioneering projects
Construction firm to work on NETPark phase three
Start Up Loans deploys £7.6m to over 50s entrepreneurs
Survey asks what innovation means to the Tees Valley
Features
Matty Gray, GIGCO
Matty Gray is the co-founder of live music platform GIGCO - a business created out of a belief in the power of music.
Despite being what many would call an entrepreneur, Matt shuns business bravado, preferring to go by ‘co-founder’ and being open about the struggles he’s faced.
Pattern spoke to Matt about GIGCO and how it blossomed out of friendship, hardship and a drive to connect people. Read all about it here.
SXSW: Accessibility
For the QT this week I wrote about accessibility. I’m currently in Austin, Texas, for the South by SouthWest (SXSW) conference, which has proven an exemplar in inclusionary practice. I explored how SXSW applies accessibility in action, why it matters and what it could mean for the North East. Read it here if you like.
And thank you for the messages following last week’s Better not enough for women in tech piece, it’s much appreciated.
Mingle Milestone
Well done to Dylan, Karl and Travis (pictured above) on reaching a year of Silicon Mingle. The Mingle is a Newcastle-based informal networking event, bringing the North East tech community together once a month.
If you’d like to find out how to get involved or simply what it’s all about, read Karl’s recent LinkedIn post here. Well done guys!
Women in Tech
Richards steps up
Laura Richards is on a mission to help. The self-described female, non-technical founder is applying No Code tools to test her enterprise ideas and is offering to teach others too! Laura is passionate about the North East tech scene and social inclusion - amongst many other things. She’s also a natural leader with bags of talent; if you or someone you know has a startup idea but doesn’t know quite how to move it along, this is a great offer to turn to.
Laura said: “Last year I taught myself to build apps using No Code. I want to show you how to do it too.
I'm thinking of holding a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 workshop where we build (together) an AI-powered app using some of the No Code tools I love.
By the end of 3 hours (ish) you'll be able to say you've build an app. Even if you've NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.”
Interested? Engage with Laura on LinkedIn here.
Recognition for VJ
A purple plaque has been installed at the University of Sunderland to mark the success of Vijayalakshmi Subramani, founder of TeenyWeenyVR. The VR platform for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) helps users prepare for new places and situations, allowing children to safely access a wider range of educational and entertainment experiences.
Interested in knowing more? Check out this article from Sunderland Uni here.
Lookout for Lockwood
Friend of the Digest Tasmin lockwood is embarking on a new journey. Talented journalist Tas this week announced she’s leaving her role at Business Insider and is going freelance - from South America! Tas will still be covering startups, VC, and climate tech, and plans to report climate and people-led stories on the ground. Her first stop? Argentina!
I recommend any editors who want to commission Tasmin, chat about opportunities, or just fancy an intro, get in touch at journotas@gmail.com or catch her on LinkedIn here.
Post of the Week
