Milton Keynes has one of the highest levels of start-ups in the UK and Milton Keynes City Council is passionate about working with local partners and organisations to solidify this position, help businesses stay within the city, creating new jobs and opportunities for local people. We have now announced that five local tech start-ups are to receive a cash injection from Milton Keynes City Council to help them get to the next level.
In 2023, business founders in Milton Keynes were encouraged to apply to win MK Tech Fund angel fund- ing. The MK Tech Fund is for tech businesses based in Milton Keynes that have fewer than ten employees, and that have been trading for less than three years, and is managed by Milton Keynes Investors Group. In total, 50 firms applied.
The winners include developers of an app that can help people find street food trucks, through to a digital platform for viewing houses online. Each one is set to receive a cash injection of up to £7,000 each to help them get specific projects off the ground or further establish their teams.
The winning businesses all align closely with our ambitions when it comes down to exploring and developing new technology.
The five businesses selected are Indilocal – an app to help find street food trucks and local pop-up events; Ravepool – a digital record pool for independent artists to promote and receive a fair income for their music; Clera Healthcare – a doctor-founded app used by healthcare staff to give families the communication they need while a relative is in hospital; Tracx – a marketing toolkit to help local businesses understand customer behaviour, drive positive reviews and increase customer loyalty; and Zeroox – a 21st Century approach to helping people find the right home through digital house viewings and searches.
Milton Keynes Investors Group (MKIG), which manages MK Tech Fund, is the largest not-for-profit angel network in the UK. MKIG provides a free pitching platform for founders, with no success fees, and is frequently approached by MK-based micro businesses for this kind of funding.
It is run by experienced founders who have successfully exited their start-ups and have a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of building a business.
Later this year, one of the successful firms will also be offered additional funding of £5,000 through a Dragons Den-style process.
On Monday June 17, at the new Unity Place building in Central Milton Keynes, MKIG will be hosting its Big Pitch Party where the five tech start-ups will go head-to- head with a Dragons’ Den-style pitch to win £5,000 and have the opportunity to secure seed investment from investors attending the event.
Find out more about Milton Keynes City Council at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk
Leader, Milton Keynes City Council
