Autism Arena
Brainstorm Club
Compost-It
Earthchain
Logopedics Technology
Pathways Open
Ticketi
True Green Energy
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Read moreLeeds Go-to-Market Launchpad
The Leeds Go-to-Market Launchpad brought together a collaboration of L Marks, the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, and Leeds City Council, backed by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This partnership leveraged commercial expertise, academic insight, and public-sector vision to create a results-focused programme. All partners together directly contributed to measurable outcomes, including corporate engagement, revenue growth, job creation, and regional economic expansion.
Leeds has become an established startup hub in the UK, where a total of £576M in venture capital was awarded to high-growth startups over 2022 and 2023, and 61 tech startups launched in 2024 alone. The city is widely recognised for its innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a focus on tech and digital sectors.
The Leeds Go-to-Market Launchpad was the first programme of its kind, built to fast-track new startups into their initial commercial phases, and it delivered spectacular results, exceeding all expectations. Standout startups participating achieved up to 300% revenue growth, six new products broke into the markets, and 20 new jobs are due to be created. Out of the 10 startups involved, every single business plans to expand beyond the region, and with 100% satisfaction in key programme events, L Marks looks forward to building on top of these results.
20 startups began the journey, representing a broad range of sectors from Healthtech to Sustainability, to Consulting. After taking part in the full-day Bootcamp, 10 were selected to continue onto the Accelerator and Corporate Engagement phases, providing each startup with further market entry strategic guidance and hands-on support to scale their ventures.
Split into 3 phases, initially supporting a wider range of startups and then narrowing in focus to provide the most promising of those with dedicated content, mentorship, and connections.
Through pulling together corporate networks, academic expertise, and public-sector support, the Leeds Go-to-Market Launchpad has set new best practices for startup acceleration, and has gained significant positive responses from all participants are stakeholders involved.
Startup Participants
Autism Arena CIC delivers autism and neurodivergence training and support to parents, carers, and businesses. Backed by National Lottery Community Funding, they offer workshops, webinars, peer support sessions, and bespoke training to foster greater understanding and inclusivity.
Brainstorm Club supports B2B organisations in transforming their revenue operations by aligning sales, marketing, and customer success into one cohesive function. Their unified approach enhances collaboration, improves performance, and accelerates sustainable growth.
CG Mitchell Consulting Limited
CG Mitchell Consulting provides Virtual Advisory Boards that offer expert, flexible, and cost-effective support to businesses. Through their product, they deliver the insight and guidance typically offered by formal boards, without the associated overheads or legal complexities.
Compost-It helps businesses recycle food waste, improving sustainability and reducing operational costs. By diverting waste from landfills and supporting local initiatives, they enable organisations to contribute positively to their communities and environmental goals.
Earthchain streamlines corporate carbon reporting by sourcing data directly from primary sources. Their platform enhances the accuracy and detail of emissions data (especially for complex scope 3 reporting), enabling businesses to make more informed sustainability decisions.
Logopedics Technology develops AI-powered speech therapy solutions that work in partnership with therapists. Their tools are designed to support children with speech and communication needs, driving improved outcomes through innovative, tech-enabled interventions.
Pathways Open connects life science innovators with leading researchers and academic experts worldwide. By bridging the gap between scientific talent and breakthrough ideas, they help accelerate innovation and bring transformative health solutions to market.
Ticketi is a direct-to-fan ticketing platform tailored for the live music industry. Using AI and machine learning, it reduces ticket touting and ensures fairer access for fans, while offering artists and organisers better control over their ticket sales.
True Green Energy offers an affordable, GRI-certified SaaS platform designed to support SMEs, particularly in the health sector, with sustainability reporting and training. Their solution enables informed, ESG-focused decision-making at every level of the organisation.
TRL Fashion Space is a digital project management tool for fashion designers, enabling sustainable decision-making during the design phase. It guides choices on materials and production methods, helping designers reduce environmental impact from the outset.