Yorkshire鈥檚 tech start-ups must promote themselves as much as those in Manchester, according to a key figure at Tech North.
Kane Fulton is community engagement manager at the government-backed body formed three years ago to promote the digital ecosystem and attract investment and talent to the North of England.
He told Amsource Technology聽that he is the eyes and ears of Tech North on the ground as well as a visible presence for start-ups in the region.
鈥淵orkshire鈥檚 tech scene is more laid back than London鈥檚,鈥� he said.
鈥淭his is something of a double-edged sword 鈥� where founders in the capital can perhaps go overboard on the self-promotion front, driven by a need to stand out in a packed scene, Yorkshire鈥檚 start-ups tend to be somewhat introverted and reluctant to sell themselves.
鈥淢any of them should be shouting from the rooftops about the brilliant work they鈥檙e doing 鈥� something that our friends across the Pennines [in Manchester]聽have mastered in recent years. But we鈥檙e getting better.
鈥淎lso, the more intimate nature of Yorkshire鈥檚 tech scene means that people are less guarded up here, which makes them more open to collaboration.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen tight bonds forged between start-up founders, and a particular willingness from corporates to engage.鈥�
Tech North runs the Northern Stars pitch competition, which shines a light on the best early-stage start-ups in the region, and also raises the tech sector鈥檚 profile through the Tech Nation report.
The other areas of its focus are investment, through the Tech North Angel Network聽and a proposed聽co-investment fund skills, through the Northern Voices programme for female event speakers and its UpSkill programme; ecosystem, through its Founders’ Network events; identifying what is needed, such as co-working spaces and accelerators; and partnerships, securing private sector sponsorship for Tech North events and programmes.
鈥淚f start-ups are aeroplanes looking to take off, our job is to clear any obstacles on their metaphorical runway,鈥� added Fulton.
鈥淭here are many problems that could keep a start-up founder up at night so the challenge is identifying where we can make the most impact through our programmes and initiatives.鈥�