As mentioned in my previous post, this year we’ve launched a new award category, the Young Innovator Award. But what’s out there for innovators over 25 (other than all the other NMA categories, of course)?
Events and conferences
Most nights of the week in London and in other large cities across the UK there are technology events taking place that are great for finding out the latest thinking and are fantastic for networking. If you still think that techie people are anti-social, think again. There are a huge variety of topics, themes and industry sectors catered for, from groups devoted to talking about the programming language Ruby on Rails to nights showcasing the latest start-up companies. And a month rarely goes by without a large technology/new media based conference of one sort or the other.
If you have a digital idea or concept you’d like to take further then these events should be your first port of call. They’re ideal for finding like minded others, encouragement, and building your contact base – you never know you may even find someone to invest in your plans.
Naturally, online social networks have become the way to find out about what is going on, and the top favourite at the moment for finding out about UK tech events is Upcoming, where the New Media Awards listed here.
Investment from government agencies
As well as running services such as Business Link, Regional Development Agencies across the UK are investing in various ways in technology, creative and digitally based ideas, events and businesses. One of the ways that the London Development Agency supports this area is via the strategic agency Creative London. Creative London is particularly active in supporting the new media, digital and computer games industries and recently sponsored ten companies £5,000 each to attend the week long London BBC Innovation Lab.
Venture Capital and Angel Funding
Many Venture Capitalists got burnt back in 2001/02 and as a result those who are investing in the UK technology sector are being far more cautious. Recent success stories include Trampoline Systems and Trusted Places who recently received £3 million and £500,000 investment respectively. But there is nothing like the billions of dollars sloshing around as there is over in the US. To get this kind of investment your idea needs to have got off the ground and already proven to be a success, you’ve also got to be ready to part with a considerable share of the business you’ve built up.
There are a number of sites and organisations providing information and support in this area, here are just a few of the main ones:
Chinwag
Ecademy
e-consultancy
NMK
Open Business
Vitamin
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