READY, SET & PITCH!

Event Overview

Would you like to get investment in your business to help you scale and grow? Have you watched Dragon’s Den and thought I could do that?

Why not prepare a pitch to our panel of experts (They’re quite friendly really!).

They have the experience and contacts to hone your skills, bring your ideas to fruition and prepare you to get the investment you need.

After registering online, we’ll contact you and ask for a one-page summary of your business idea. From there, we’ll help you prepare a short, punchy business pitch to present to our live panel on Thursday, 28th August from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

You’ll be invited to pitch at a specific time, or you’re welcome to join us for the whole morning to network with your peers.

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Our Panellist

Kirsty Sisson

Over nearly two decades of scaling, acquiring, and selling businesses, Kirsty has helped hundreds of growth-minded founders to get investor-ready; whether raising capital for growth, scale, acquisition or preparing to exit. On this panel, Kirsty will be bringing a pragmatic view of what investors are really looking for and how to make sure your commercial model, your numbers, your narrative, and your strategy hit the mark.

Martin Sandhu

With 20+ years in the technology and digital innovation space, he leads and builds ventures that solve real-world problems through strategic design, AI-driven product development, and capital-efficient growth. As Founder of The Innovation Creative Group (TICG), he has overseen a collective of brands that span health tech, product engineering, property investment, and regional innovation. This includes, a HealthTech agency delivering strategic design, digital innovation and a modern investment firm managing real-world and digital asset portfolios. The latter has enabled him to align product, market, and capital to accelerate business growth, through to supporting regional innovation and founder-first initiatives.

Julie Warren – CLG UK

Julie Warren is a seasoned finance expert with over four decades of experience supporting UK SMEs. After a 28-year career with Barclays, she founded her own consultancy in 2011, dedicated to helping business owners secure the funding they need to grow. Julie specialises in cashflow solutions, vehicle and equipment finance, and has deep expertise in structuring tailored funding packages across a wide range of sectors.

Her approach is highly personalised, she takes time to understand each business’s current position and future goals, then matches them with the most suitable lenders from her extensive network. With a strong track record in navigating complex lending landscapes, Julie is known for her strategic insight, hands-on support, and commitment to helping SMEs thrive.

Lewis Stringer

Lewis Stringer is Senior Manager at the British Business Bank, covering the East & South-East Midlands Lewis. He has over 25 years’ experience in economic development including two years at Capital for Enterprise Limited (the Bank's predecessor), where he worked in the Debt Team on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme and former RDA legacy funds at East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) in the Business Investment Team, managing a team and a series of grant, loan and equity funds, and investment readiness programmes.He also has commercial and personal banking experience with Lloyds Banking Group.

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Why Attend?

• Practice your pitch in a low-pressure, supportive environment
• Gain insights from experienced investors and business leaders
• Learn from peers and expand your network

This event is open to Nottingham City-based businesses. Eligibility checks will be carried out.

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