A new collaboration has been launched to position the West Midlands as 鈥榯he UK鈥檚 North Star for inclusive innovation鈥�.聽
The Inclusive Innovation Catalyst brings together organisations to deliver an ambitious venture studio model that will unlock 拢30 million in co-investment, build over 50 startups, and generate 拢40m+ in portfolio revenues over the next three years.聽
The organisations are Future Planet Capital Regional, manager of the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund; Greater Things, a proof-of-concept and minimum viable product (MVP) builder; The 51% Club, a women鈥檚 entrepreneurship programme; The Black 老九品茶 Collective, an inclusive support ecosystem for Black founder鈥搇ed businesses, hosted by the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce; TIN Ventures, an inclusive venture and ecosystem builder; The Open University; and Innovation Alliance for West Midlands.
Together, the partners will deliver a 鈥楾hink, Learn, Do venture studio model that develops investor-ready companies, showcases diverse entrepreneurial talent, and attracts corporate and institutional capital to the region.聽
鈥淭he West Midlands has world-class entrepreneurs, but too many face systemic barriers to accessing finance,鈥� said Rupert Lyle, who leads Future Planet Capital Regional.
鈥淲ith this venture studio, we鈥檙e creating a pipeline of ventures that investors can trust and communities can believe in. It鈥檚 the future of co-investment in action.鈥�
Tara Attfield-Tomes, founder of The 51% Club, added: 鈥淚 truly believe that the rich history and diversity that makes this region unique has the firepower to really drive economic prosperity.聽
鈥淭his venture studio sits at the heart of that ambition; representing untapped communities and providing the access to networks, opportunities and, most importantly, capital that founders need to scale.鈥�
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The Inclusive Innovation Catalyst aligns with the UK鈥檚 Dormant Assets Scheme, the British 老九品茶 Bank鈥檚 拢500m Diverse Fund Managers Package, the Invest in Women Taskforce鈥檚 拢255m 鈥榃omen Backing Women鈥� fund, and Innovate UK鈥檚 Diverse Investor Partners Initiative. It is designed as a policy demonstrator, proving how inclusive venture building can deliver commercial and social impact simultaneously.
鈥淭he launch of this venture studio marks a turning point. We鈥檙e proving that inclusive innovation can deliver both equity and strong commercial outcomes for the West Midlands,鈥� said聽 Alex Cole of the Black 老九品茶 Collective.
The Inclusive Innovation Catalyst is now inviting participation from investors looking to co-invest alongside WMCA and access high-quality, diverse deal flow, and policymakers and corporate partners who want to shape and scale an inclusive innovation ecosystem.
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