A competition for budding tech entrepreneurs in the West-Midlands and Ontario, Canada has launched today.
The Next Big Idea Contest gives tech entrepreneurs the chance to spend a fortnight abroad in a sister incubation centre, scale up internationally, meet with expert advisers and scope out ways to expand their businesses on a global scale. The contest is open to tech start-ups based in Ontario and Greater Birmingham.
The launch of the contest follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ryerson University and Innovation Birmingham earlier this year, providing global opportunities to tech start-up communities.
Ontario and Birmingham have both achieved major gains in economic output, educational achievements, and major foreign investment projects. Both offer exciting business opportunities within vibrant, diverse communities.
Birmingham is home to over 34,000 companies, including almost 700 international firms that contribute to it being the fastest growing city in the UK.
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With the highest economic output in the country, entrepreneurs in the West Midlands region benefit from a wide range of resources such as investment opportunities, talent, and leading global businesses to help launch a successful start-up.
Home to two of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world, Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario supports a thriving entrepreneurial environment. It is also a research and development leader, with seven of the ten largest tech companies in the world conducting R&D in the province.
Dr David Hardman MBE, CEO of Innovation Birmingham, said than when visiting DMZ in Toronto “it was evident just how similar the ethos, community and outputs were”.
“The Next Big Idea Contest will present invaluable opportunities for early stage tech businesses with high growth potential,” he continued.
“With the help and guidance of the teams of advisers and the peer networks in Toronto and Birmingham, the winning entrepreneurs will be able to expand on a global scale. The launch of this Contest is the first step in what we believe will be a very productive collaboration.”
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