TechHub Expands to Swansea

TechHub to boost technology innovation in Wales

Welsh tech entrepreneurs are set to see a surge with the opening of a new TechHub in Swansea in October 2013.

TechHub, the community for tech entrepreneurs with existing sites around the UK and Europe, will bring exciting opportunities for regional entrepreneurs and startup companies to create new products and spawn tech jobs in and around the Swansea area.

With partners like Google, BlackBerry and the BlueVia initiative from Telefonica, TechHub brings access to the global tech industry, plus learning opportunities, workspace, contacts and expertise to help new businesses get the support they need to grow and succeed.

Matt Warren, entrepreneur and Co-founder of TechHub Swansea says:

We’re thrilled! Opening a TechHub in Swansea will massively boost the region’s existing tech businesses and help them compete on an international scale, while also being five minutes from the beach.

Just a three-hour direct train from London, with two excellent universities generating top-class graduates and a strong history of Welsh technology innovation, Swansea is a smart choice for technology entrepreneurs who want to grow a company outside of the hectic UK capital.

TechHub Swansea offers entrepreneurs the invaluable opportunity to network with national and international startups in person and via the online TechHub network. In addition, it will offer 50 desks for resident startups, plus drop-in workspace, free advice sessions and workshops for members, press and PR opportunities, contacts within large companies, discounted products and other support services.

TechHub Co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Varley said:

Swansea is a great example of how different elements of the tech startup ecosystem are coming together to tap into the emerging talent that exists in Wales.”

With its proximity to South West UK and that region’s long-standing history of technology innovation, plus great local support from universities and government and a kick-ass founding team, we’re really excited to see what TechHub Swansea can do.

TechHub Swansea will become the fifth TechHub location after London and Manchester in the UK, and Riga and Bucharest in Europe.

The Welsh tech scene will gain direct access to London’s tech community, a key part of the booming internet economy, which by 2016 is forecast to grow to 12.4% of GDP in the UK, contributing some £225bn to the overall UK economy. And Welsh entrepreneurship generally is on the rise. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring report for 2011 put the level of enterprise amongst those aged 18-29 at 9.7%, up from 3.4% in 2002.

Paul Harwood, entrepreneur and CTO of startup StoryApp.it says: “We chose Swansea over other cities in the UK to start up because it is a better venue for high-growth companies. It has a superb talent pool from the universities and some of the cheapest high-quality standards of living in the UK, which helps startups like us survive and thrive.”

TechHub Swansea, which is being supported by the Welsh Government has been welcomed by Economy Minister Edwina Hart who said:

“The TechHub concept was developed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and promises to provide an environment that will stimulate the growth of new high-tech companies in Wales. Encouraging entrepreneurs and supporting startups with high growth potential is an integral part of our strategy to grow the economy and create quality jobs. This private sector initiative is therefore very welcome and will complement Welsh Government-supported activities to boost the business birth rate.

For more information on TechHub visit
www.techhub.com or swansea.techhub.com

Notes to editors

For more information about TechHub, please visit www.techhub.com or email elizabeth@techhub.com and james@techhub.com or call on 020 7256 6551 or 07895 395 568. TechHub was founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Varley and Mike Butcher, TechHub is a growing community for tech entrepreneurs and a network of spaces for startups. It offers flexible workspace facilities, meeting rooms, events, workshops, advice sessions, contacts, PR and press opportunities and an important tech industry network. TechHub London has two sites in Shoreditch’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ with one opening at iCITY in Olympic Park in 2014, and has additional sites in Manchester, Riga in Latvia and Bucharest in Romania. Further new TechHub cities will be announced by the end of 2013 as part of the company’s global expansion.

TechHub Swansea TechHub Swansea has been co-founded by a team of three people passionate about developing a strong technology startup ecosystem in Swansea. Adam Curtis (CEO Hoowla), Paul Harwood (CTO StoryApp) and Matthew Warren (CEO Veeqo) are technology entrepreneurs and pioneers of the Swansea Start initiative. TechHub Swansea is backed by a strong innovation board including Tim Morgan (Founder of Mint Ventures & Picklive), Daniel McPherson (Serial Entrepreneur and Investor) and Christopher Clark (Ex BDO Executive).

Welsh infrastructure supporting the digital economy The Welsh government are seeking to ensure that 100% of residential and business premises in Wales will have access to Next Generation Broadband by 2015, with the ambition that 50% or more have access to a 100mbps connection.

Youth entrepreneurship in Wales Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring report available here and as covered by the BBC:

Historic Welsh technology innovation Various technology products and services were developed by pioneering Welsh engineers, including: Microphone – David Edward Hughes Radar – Edward George Bowen Packet switching – Donald Davis Mathematical symbols (+ = pi) – Robert Recorde Precursor to the train – the Penydarren Loco – Richard Trevithick in 1803 Powered flight – Bill Frost in 1896 (15 years before the brothers Wright) Fuel Cell – William Grove 1839 Robert Clarke and John Lockwood voted “Worlds Best Inventors” by the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 2010 for their Sports Injury Rehabilitation Assistant.