Access to finance
Dragons Lair pitch nights, Meet the VC with DFJ Esprit, AXM and Index Ventures, and an Investor Club. We never took part in the deals ourselves.
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Our history · 2006–2013
Techcelerate built Manchester’s tech startup ecosystem.
“When tech wasn’t sexy, we took charge of building an ecosystem for tech entrepreneurs in Manchester and the North West.” — Manoj Ranaweera, founder
The original logo, 2009–2013100+tech events, workshops and pitch nights
2,300strong community, from Manchester to San Francisco
75+tech startups listed in our directory
2013Northern Tech Awards acquired by GP Bullhound
From one event to an ecosystem
Manoj couldn’t find the support he needed as a tech founder in the North West, so he built it.
- 2004
Manoj founds ebdex
An electronic invoicing startup, founded after his Executive MBA at Manchester Business School.
- NOV 2006
First Northern StartUp 2.0 event
Held at the IoD in Manchester with help from KPMG, TechCrunch UK and Ivan Pope.
- 2008–2009
A community of 1,600+
Northern StartUp 2.0 runs at least ten events a year, at KPMG, Tech Centre Manchester and Daresbury.
- FEB 2009
Renamed Techcelerate
To bring early-stage and established technology companies together.
- MAR 2010
Jeff Barr of Amazon Web Services at Daresbury
A workshop with Amazon Web Services’ chief evangelist at Daresbury Innovation Centre.
- MAR 2011
Northern Tech Awards
The community asked for a flagship event. The awards ran at the Lowry Hotel in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
- 2011–2012
Founders Club and Meet the VC
Regular founder sessions, plus meetings with DFJ Esprit, AXM Ventures and Index Ventures, and a meetup at Google Campus London.
- 2013
GP Bullhound acquires the Northern Tech Awards
The flagship event moves on to a new owner.
- OCT 2013
Final event: Horizon 2020 for ICT
Techcelerate steps back so a new generation can build the next phase of the ecosystem.
What Techcelerate gave tech founders
Access to knowledge
Founders Club and the Tech Entrepreneur Series, with sessions on SaaS pricing, product-market fit, growth through acquisitions and tech IPOs.
Access to markets
Tech Missions to London, a UK deal flow directory, and introductions that helped companies such as CANDDi, Intuitive Business Intelligence and Screach.
Access to talent
A tech job board and “Work at a StartUp” pitch nights, connecting tech founders with developers and co-founders.
Tech startups in the community
From our Tech StartUps directory15secondTVAmeeebaAssuredSaleBeLocalBufferAppbusiness muleCanddiCapsuleCRMCaptive PortalscashApeCodethinkConstruqtiveDataNovataDreamagilityedocrEmbedded TechnologiesensemblieoSemiFacetecGamesChart.comGreen Cloud HostingHaciendaHiring HubHubdubi2mOnlineIbexisiManage PlusIntuitive Business IntelligenceIsisForensicsITS TechnologiesJobPageKinishiKonkuraLittle World GiftsLocallyComparedmakeurmoveMalinkoMapMe.atMediaTankHQMpm simNujiOnePagePalringophonefromherePostureMinderSaleSpotterScreenReachShapingCloudShareMyStorageSimulSiondoSlicethepieSmartlife TechnologyStartdotstarStructure VisionSwirrlTexxiThe Wedding VineThinspaceTiygaTouchipTourdustTreasuremytextuBuyPrivateVidiactiveVisiDeckWadaroWeb Enable ITWhamoosh!WitNitWooshiWorthington SharpeYRFreeYuuguuZendesk
What the community said
“Techcelerate is doing something truly ground-breaking for the UK tech community.”
“Techcelerate has helped lots of budding entrepreneurs over the years.”
“Great to see tech startups growing in local ecosystems as with Techcelerate helping in Manchester.”
“You have filled a key gap in the Digital/ICT network in the North.”
“Techcelerate is the best opportunity in the North-West for entrepreneurs and investors to meet like-minded individuals.”
“Techcelerate helps to share knowledge and stimulate thought, it is time well spent.”
Partners of that era
Aaron & Partners · Crowe Clark Whitehill · Sci-Tech Daresbury · KPMG · Bruntwood · Mashup* · GeekUp · edocr · Knowledge Transfer Network (ICT) · Electronics Technology Network · University of Manchester Incubator Company
With thanks
To Sam Sethi, Ivan Pope and Imran Ali for getting it started, to Nishani Ranaweera, and to the 2,300-strong community who made it all possible.
The next chapter: execution before investment.
Same founder, same mission, built for how tech startups are made today.