One To Win: £1mn Pledged To Winning Pitch From West Midlands Start-Up

By East Village

Press Release

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Quick Read: A ground-breaking £1 million pitch competition is launching in the West Midlands, solidifying the region’s position as a powerhouse in the tech sector. Aimed at uncovering the region's most promising start-up business, One to Win is spearheaded by The Rigby Group, SCC, Haatch, and the West Midlands Co-Invest Fund (delivered through Midven, part of Future Planet Capital), and boasts the largest single prize for any pitch competition in the UK.

The brand-new One to Win competition was launched within London Tech Week by TechWM and a cohort of leading stakeholders, at the Mathys and Squire LLP offices in The Shard, London. Applications open on the 1st of July: shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to pitch for the prize during Birmingham Tech Week on Wednesday 23 October with the winner announced two days later on Friday 25 October.

Powered by TechWM, One to Win will showcase the region's vibrant and thriving tech sector on the national stage. The unprecedented £1 million cash injection prize money will be awarded to a West Midlands business that’s demonstrating game-changing innovation and is on track for further impressive growth.

The initiative will also support those from the region who don’t meet the entry criteria, offering alternative support: including opportunities for trade missions; investor connections; access to mentors and workshops; guidance on accelerators and incubators; and links to corporate innovation programmes.

Backed by leading investors, stakeholders, and key tech players, the pitch competition demonstrates the belief in the region’s ability to become a global tech superpower.

Yiannis Maos MBE, CEO of TechWM said:

“The One to Win is the culmination of everything we’re doing to nurture, platform, and develop the fantastic tech scene here in the West Midlands. All parties involved share the belief that the region is the sleeping giant of the tech landscape, and we’ve been working incredibly hard to let the world know what it has to offer.

“Groundbreaking initiatives and competitions like One to Win are brilliant opportunities to further showcase the wonderful work going on in the region, and thanks to the generous backing of our fantastic stakeholders, partners, and sponsors, we’re able to give one talented start-up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive the biggest pitch competition prize in the UK – an incredible step forward for both the worthy winner and the region as a whole.”

Steve Rigby, Co CEO of Rigby Group said:

“The West Midlands has all the qualities needed to become a leading tech powerhouse. My family business, Rigby Group, is the second largest private company in the West Midlands, while our technology business, SCC, is the largest tech company in the region. We are enormously proud of our roots and are delighted to support TechWM and their work to put our home region on the global stage. I very much believe One to Win will shine a light on our home grown tech talent and provide game changing support to the winning business.”

The One to Win competition is open for expressions of interest from 12 June and opens for applications on 1July. To express you interest and to find out more, visit http://www.onetowin.co.uk/

What's new

Changes at the top of TechWM set to see growth in the West Midlands

TechWM, the leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to driving tech innovation in the West Midlands, has announced a new Chairman alongside the appointment of new board members. Bringing over 40 years of collective industry experience, this board expansion comes as the organisation celebrates significant growth in revenue and ahead of the sixth annual Birmingham Tech Week.

Jason Sahota, a seasoned technology and business leader and Private Equity Advisor, will be taking the role of chairman of the TechWM board. With over 20 years of experience, Jason carries an impressive portfolio of NED and advisory positions that focus on technology start-ups and scale-ups in the West Midlands region.

Jason will replace Kim Leary, who remains on the board having been in the chair position since 2020. Speaking about his appointment, Jason comments:

“There’s no doubting the opportunity that lies ahead for the region’s tech scene. Every year, we go from strength to strength and that is largely down to the vision and strategic direction set by TechWM. Picking up the baton as chair is an incredible honour, and I cannot wait to get started in pushing towards our collective vision of being a recognised global tech superpower by 2030.”

Kim Leary is a founding member of the TechWM board, having joined after the first Birmingham Tech Week. She will remain on the board, commenting:

“I stepped into the Chair role at a time when Birmingham Tech Week was in its infancy because I truly believed in its purpose. That was nearly five years ago, and naturally, the time has come for me to step down as chair. However, I will remain a board member because that belief still burns strong, and I know there is more to do.

TechWM has achieved so many successes and has become a vital part of the tech ecosystem here in the West Midlands. However, personally speaking, I am most proud of the role I have played in transitioning the board from being very operational to the diverse and strategic force it is now.

We have a wonderful team in place, and I am confident that the organisation will continue to thrive and make a significant impact in the years to come.”

In addition to Jason’s appointment, TechWM has also welcomed new board members including: the new Vice Chair, Elizabeth Zeddie Lawal, an award-winning creative producer and founder of CreaTech organisation, More Than A Moment; Joanna Birch, Chief Innovation Officer, Woodbourne Group; and, Daniel Campion, co-founder and CEO of Infrastructure SaaS platform, Sitenna.

Bringing over 40 years of combined business and tech experiences, the newly appointed board members offer diverse perspectives and expertise across telecoms, M&A, strategic innovation, cultural industries, and global client relations; enhancing TechWM’s support of the region’s tech community.

This expansion comes at a time when TechWM is celebrating significant growth, with revenue increasing by 78% between July 2023 and July 2024. A new Director of Digital Skills & Commercial Impact, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, will also be joining the TechWM team, who will play a crucial role in developing the region’s digital talent.

Having worked at the University of Birmingham for over a decade in business engagement roles, being the facilitator between academia and industry for up-skilling and innovation, Victoria comments:

“I’m delighted to be joining the TechWM team on its exciting growth trajectory. The West Midlands motto is ‘making tech succeed in the most human of places’ – this couldn’t be more appropriate than when looking at the digital skills agenda.
Ensuring that we have the right skills base for the short, medium and long term are fundamental to the growth of the region’s burgeoning tech sector, as well as that of the economy more broadly. I’m looking forward to working with employers and education providers to ensure we have the right digital skills to reduce the current skills gap and create a thriving tech ecosystem for the West Midlands.”

Building on its ongoing momentum, including powering the high-profile ‘One to Win’ pitch competition, which will see £1 million reward to the region’s most promising start-up business, and launching a standout Birmingham Tech Week 2024, TechWM is scaling up its operations to accelerate the region’s tech ecosystem to become a Global Tech Superpower by 2030.

By Molly Matthews

9 Sep