Archive of Richard Bond

Dealroom, one of the world’s most trusted sources of startup and scaleup investor market intelligence, has partnered with Lancashire County Council (LCC) to create a bespoke microsite which focuses solely on Lancashire’s high-growth innovation and tech sectors. Launched at the recent LIFT technology and innovation festival in Preston, lancashire.dealroom.co captures data relating to individual Lancashire businesses as well as overarching investment trends. Metrics and activities mapped by the Dealroom platform include startup and scaleup funding rounds, recent mergers and exits, sector analysis, and geographical hotspot tracking. The microsite also features details of investors interested in early-stage Lancashire companies, local… Keep reading

Lancashire’s startup and scaleup businesses community has given LIFT – the county’s new innovation, funding and technology festival – a very warm welcome. Produced by Innovate Lancashire, and delivered in partnership with Fhunded and the Lancashire Digital Hub, the sold-out event attracted 150 delegates – drawn from a wide range of sectors and locations – to Chew’s Yard in Preston on June 12th. With a focus on actionable takeaways to help ambitious companies grow, the speaker programme was packed with seasoned business owners, serial entrepreneurs, and industry experts, who shared invaluable insights based on their own experiences. They… Keep reading

Lancaster University has opened one of the largest educational hubs in the country to help train the next generation of computer science and cyber security students. Some of the new facilities include specialist teaching laboratories which were co-created by students. Equipped with the latest technology, the labs support large-scale data visualisation, software engineering, computer-intensive tasks, and cyber security programming. Another key part of the hub is a new Data Immersion Suite. Featuring a studio space and control room, this sophisticated teaching resource includes advanced audiovisual equipment, such as a 22-metre high resolution video wall. The suite enables students, academics, policy makers… Keep reading

Three Lancashire universities have helped more than 80 businesses across the county through a joint innovation project. The University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University and Edge Hill University came together through the Lancashire Universities’ Innovation Programme (LUIP) to provide businesses with a range of practical support, including product testing and prototype development. Staff and students from all three institutions worked with a range of Lancashire companies to generate new ideas, create solutions, and develop more evidence-based marketing collateral, to support business growth. The participating businesses – which were based across Preston, Burnley, South Ribble and West Lancashire – also enjoyed… Keep reading

A new angel network for Lancashire, fhunded angels, has been officially launched by Lancashire County Council (LCC).  Part of LCC’s highly successful fhunded early-stage finance programme, fhunded angels is thought to be the UK’s first angel network to be led and managed by a local authority at such a scale. Overseen by the Lancashire Early Stage Investment Board (ESIB) – a cohort of private and public sector financial experts with extensive experience working across the early-stage finance landscape – the fhunded angels initiative will bring ambitious Lancashire startups to the attention of private investors looking for exciting ground-floor investment opportunities. Keep reading