A gas-powered car company, a mod-themed musical with its sights on the West End and a developer of software for GPs are among firms vying to catch the eye of investors at a Birmingham event.
The Midland Investor Network aims to bring together investment firms, angels and finance professionals to offer a platform for local businesses hoping to expand to the next level.
The Dragons’ Den-style event, which takes place at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Birmingham on January 25, will present a range of Midland-based firms looking for between £50,000 to £1 million.
The event is being organised by McGregors Corporate and Else Solicitors, and has also enlisted the support of Midven, BA Capital, Citizen Corporate Finance and Natwest.
McGregors Corporate West Midland area director Steven Mugglestone said the network aimed to open up new opportunities for local businesses.
“We recognise that smaller businesses and businesses looking to expand are struggling to find finance so we thought we would be better to get together as a club, for want of a better word.
“We’re aiming to hold quarterly events and enlist businesses that are a combination of those that could do with a business angel, who are looking for a small amount of money and someone to join them as a director, and then there are more established businesses who are more attractive to people like Midven and who are looking for larger sums.
“For example, we’ve got one business that converts cars for wheelchairs, new start-ups with science ideas who need support to take it to market then we’ve got the oddities like a musical which has already done a couple of weeks in Nottingham and they would like to take it to London.”
The event, at the RBS offices in St Philip's Place, Birmingham, will showcase seven companies from the Midlands at a variety of stages of development.
The company which converts cars for wheelchair access has contracts in place with motor manufacturers but is seeking to expand production and supply throughout Europe.
Another company has developed software allowing GPs to control and monitor their referrals through the NHS system, with the system already being used by one major area PCT.
One firm has developed an efficient compressor system which allows overnight charging of gas-converted cars.
The event will also feature two firms from the world of entertainment – an online radio statio specialising in the over-40s market as well as a “theatre angel opportunity” to invest in a musical written by Steve Wallis and Quadrophenia novelist Alan Fletcher, which is looking at a West End run.
Mod Crop features narration by Ray Winstone, clothing supplied by Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green range and was a big hit with the public during its debut week’s run at the Nottingham Theatre Royal in June 2009 and subsequent sell-out follow-up show in 2010.
The coming-of-age musical delves into peer pressure, sex, drugs, music and fashion with an array of classic songs.
>More details at Steven Mugglestone's Blog
