Worcestershire's BetaDen welcomes new partners to support tech innovation

Published by

Nicky Godding

Donston Powell, J Kate Snell and Daniel Felipi of Worcestershire Technology Accelerator BetaDen

The Worcestershire-based accelerator BetaDen has announced four new partners for the eighth cohort of Accelerate - its award-winning programme for technology businesses - which begins on 4 June.

The partners bring a range of specialisms from research and development (R&D) tax credits and innovation grant applications support, to intellectual property (IP) rights, financial management, and corporate and commercial legal support.

Apogee Associates, a Midlands-based innovation funding consultancy specialising in R&D tax credits and innovation grant applications, will support BetaDen’s Accelerate Cohort 8.0 to identify and secure grant funding opportunities and navigate the complex world of R&D tax relief. Its specialist team will provide hands-on support where needed, enabling founders to make strategic decisions to accelerate their business growth.

Cheltenham-based Wynne-Jones IP, a UK and European IP firm specialising in trademarks, patents, designs, IP strategy, licensing and enforcement, IP audits and renewals, will continue supporting the BetaDen Accelerate programme as a partner, after originally joining the accelerator during cohort 7.0 as a mentor.

Jerroms, a leading Midlands-based financial group providing a wealth of personal, business advisory, and corporate services, has been involved with BetaDen since its inception in 2018 as a financial management mentor. It will also continue the relationship as a partner for Accelerate cohort 8.0.

Finally, Higgs LLP, a Midlands law firm with a lineage forged in the Black Country since 1875, will continue as partner for the second year in a row, providing a range of specialist corporate commercial and legal advice.

Donston Powell, director of External Affairs at BetaDen, said: "We are delighted to welcome our new partners to BetaDen and would like to thank them for their support. The partnerships highlight our shared dedication to creating a dynamic tech ecosystem across the county, supporting local entrepreneurs to develop revolutionary innovations that will change the world right here, in the heart of the country.

“We are confident that our founders will gain valuable insights from Apogee, Wynne-Jones IP, Jerroms and Higgs LLP. Their expertise and support will prove invaluable as our founders navigate their route to market.”

BetaDen also recently announced a partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs to create a new technology incubator in Worcester.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.