University Enterprise Zone

Business support and funding for trailblazers

Panel of investors sitting at table in preparation for pitching event

Reaching out to help businesses to grow

As a University Enterprise Zone, we are designated by the Government as a centre for nurturing and supporting innovative, digital, and creative businesses across a range of sectors. Our focus is on increasing business success and job creation by providing innovative entrepreneurs with practical support via free webinars and 1:1 mentoring from our industry-experienced team. This is paired with access to funding through our equity investment platform, Angels@Essex.

If you're an entrepreneur with an innovative idea, we would like to speak to you.

Entrepreneurs: Get in touch

In order to join our invitation-only free support programme, you will undergo a process of due diligence and a review of your pitch deck. If you already have a pitch deck, then please provide us with one in PDF format only.

The procedure for this begins with an initial telephone call with a member of our team, to evaluate suitability. Successful participants are then subject to a full review, for which we require your full contact details, including telephone number and limited company name and number, a description of your innovative idea, and how it will disrupt the market. Our focus is on innovation and using new technologies to solve problems.

Email the requested information to uez@essex.ac.uk.

Following a full review and subsequent discussion, if required, an invitation to join our Angels@Essex platform may be offered.

Our commitment

Angels@Essex is a member of the UKRI Investor Partnerships Future Economy programme. This programme brings together Innovate UK’s use of grant funding, and investor partners’ aligned funding and expertise. Its aim is to stimulate research and development in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, while accelerating equity investment into those companies so that they can grow more rapidly through innovation.

Our University Enterprise Zone embraces the Investing in Women Code, and encourages applications under-represented groups, actively supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in all that we do.

GDPR Compliance

We may store your contact details received on our CRM systems for the purpose of recording our communication with you, administration, and to keep you periodically informed of the University of Essex’s University Enterprise Zone activities and services. More information about the collection and use of your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. If you do not wish for your contact information to be stored and used in this way please email uez@essex.ac.uk to let us know.

F6S Network Partner

We are a F6S Network Partner. F6S is an established European founders and start-ups platform with over five million listed entities to date. F6S members include the world’s top companies, earlier stage companies, start-ups scaling towards unicorn status and other supporters.

Upload your investment pitch and details directly to the F6S platform.

Angels@Essex pitch event

In March 2024 we hosted a live pitch event at Wivenhoe House Hotel, where eight founders pitched their innovative ideas to a select investor panel and audience.

Using the links below you can watch excerpts from each of the pitches presented at the event.

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Contact us
F6S network partner

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