Firms in Dragons' Den-style pitch for funds

Apr 16 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

SIX North East technology companies will get the chance to pitch to venture capitalists for a share of up to £9m later this month.

They have won places at the Secure Futures Investment Conference, which will see nine young, innovative technology companies go before investors and pitch Dragons’ Den-style in a bid to secure funding to develop their businesses globally.

They were chosen after impressing business leaders during a series of workshops held ahead of the conference. The remaining three companies are still to be announced.

Organised by networking organisation CONNECT North East, the conference takes place on April 28 at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield, and will provide a platform for the nine companies – all producing answers to some of Britain’s most pressing security problems.

The companies confirmed to pitch for between £250,000 and £1m of funding include Sedgefield-based science firms ANTnano and ROAR Particles, Simmartec, which is developing software to maximise safety and fuel efficiency at sea, Trackaphone, UK Biometrics (UKB) and Syphan Technologies.

Caroline Theobald managing director of Bridge Club Ltd which is delivering the CONNECT North East project, said: “We are very happy with the companies we have already chosen to pitch to the investors. This is a real opportunity for them to highlight the exciting innovations that are taking place in the North East and secure funding that will help them take their business further.”

UKB’s Matt James said: “For UKB Security to be selected is a real credit to how far the company has come in a short period of time.

“We have a fantastic, dedicated team of people that are focused on making the North East stand out as leaders in the field of digital fingerprint technology.”