Dragon’s Den star visits region for FinanceCamp 2019

Dragons’ Den star Chris Reed is set to share his experience and inspire North East delegates this month.
Estelle BlanksEstelle Blanks
Estelle Blanks

Chris, who entered the Den in February and secured an offer of £80,000 from Jenny Campbell for his app ParkingPerx, which rewards users who shop on the local high street with free parking, will be attending FinanceCamp at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, May 22.

“The journey to securing investment for ParkingPerx was very much influenced by the FinanceCamp programme,” he said.

The Stadium of LightThe Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light
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“The opportunity to get to know how investors think, and hone my pitch with expert presentation training, gave me the skills and the confidence to beat more than 10k applicants to not only get in to the Den, but deliver a successful pitch.

“I’m excited to have the chance to share my experience with fellow regional entrepreneurs embarking on their own investment journeys. FinanceCamp is a great way for businesses to get in front of potential investors, mentors and support resources to help them achieve their objectives for growth.”

Elaine Warburton, CEO of QuantuMDx Group, will also take to the stage. As an entrepreneur with over 30 years’ healthcare & biotech experience, Elaine founded the pioneering diagnostics company behind the revolutionary rapid DNA analyzer the Q-POC.

The event attracts a wide variety of regional and national investors.

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This includes venture fund managers, angel investors, banks, social investment funders and crowdfunding platforms.

Estelle Blanks, Executive Director at the Innovation SuperNetwork, which organises FinanceCamp, said: “Accessing funding and investment can be complex. Many businesses seeking to secure new sources of funding, or entering an investment round for the first time, simply don’t know how to get the ball rolling. FinanceCamp aims to simplify the process by carefully matching businesses with the right types of investor or lender – not just from the North East, but the wider UK.

“There are some truly innovative ideas and talent coming out of the region.”

For more information about registering for the day, visit supernetwork.org.uk/financecamp.

To apply to take part, register via Eventbrite.