Open Tech Calendar

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The first session of our Accelerator gives you an overview of the ‘journey ahead’. As well as the providing you with a tried and tested routemap, the session is full of practical advice and tips on some of the steps you will need to take, and pitfalls to avoid, in order to create a strong foundation for your software-based startup.

The session will be led by Chris Wheater and Morgan Killick - our highly experienced Tech Scale-Up Advisors – both themselves founders who have scaled and exited tech businesses. We are delighted to announce we will be joined by Sirinda Bhandal, founder of Social Prescribing platform Simply Connect. Sirinda left her job to ‘Spin Out’ the business and is currently looking at developing a new product to complement the platform. She will no doubt have plenty of experience to share with the group.

TechForge Accelerator 6: Bagging Your First Investment - Raising Funds from Personal Connections, Angels, Banks and The Crowd

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

In this final session of the TechForge Accelerator for tech startups, we discuss a range of options for raising investment into your business. Whether you need £5,000 or £500,000, many founders find that they just cannot move forward without some external investment. Thankfully, there are several options out there including Debt (borrowing), Equity (sale of shares in the business) and Crowdfunding (from the general public). This session gives you a tour of these options and helps you understand which are for you. We look at more detail on equity investment too and cover some of the things you will need to know, to pull off your first deal.

The session will feature both of our highly experienced Tech Scale-Up Advisors and we are delighted to be joined by Emma Cassidy, Investment Manager at DSW Ventures, who invest in rounds of up to £3m in (S)EIS-qualifying Startups and Scaleups, with a focus on the UK regions outside London.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/6-bagging-your-first-investment-raising-funds-tickets-754478654967

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/6-bagging-your-first-investment-raising-funds-tickets-754478654967

Wed 27th Mar 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 27th Mar 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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TechForge Accelerator 5: How to Generate Income: Monetisation & Pricing Strategies for Tech Startups

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The penultimate session in our Accelerator for tech startups looks at a variety of methods for generating income (so-called Monetisation). One of the most exciting aspects of software-based businesses is the innovative approaches they use to bring money in. Whether you are planning to charge fees or subscriptions or are exploring some of the more unusual routes such as ad revenue or digital currencies, there may be options you haven’t spotted before. Join this session not just to learn about some interesting alternatives, but also to delve into detail on pricing models and levels for your products and services.

The session will be led by one of our highly experienced Tech Scale-Up Advisors and we will be joined by our Guest Speaker James Coughlan, founder of popular hotdesking app ‘Reef’, who has plenty of experience of monetisation and pricing to bring to the table.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/5-how-to-generate-income-monetisation-pricing-strategies-for-tech-star-tickets-754475014077

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/5-how-to-generate-income-monetisation-pricing-strategies-for-tech-star-tickets-754475014077

Wed 20th Mar 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 20th Mar 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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TechForge Accelerator 4: Practical Session - Introduction to Using the Bubble No-code Platform

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The fourth session of our Accelerator is a bit different from the rest! It’s a practical session making use of the popular Low Code platform Bubble.io. Bring your laptop and join us as we learn some of the fundamentals of making an your first Web App in Bubble including laying out elements on the screen, working with input data, handling user accounts and creating clickable buttons to bring your app to life.

This is a practical walkthrough of these aspects of the software and we strongly recommend you bring a laptop and have signed up for a (free) Bubble account, in order to make the most of it.

The session will be delivered by local software developer and Bubble specialists, TieTek, with a Business Sheffield Tech Scaleup Advisor also in attendance.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-practical-session-introduction-to-using-the-bubble-no-code-platform-tickets-754474572757

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4-practical-session-introduction-to-using-the-bubble-no-code-platform-tickets-754474572757

Wed 13th Mar 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 13th Mar 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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TechForge Accelerator 3: Building The First Version (MVP) - Tips and Tricks for Getting it Right

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The third session of our Accelerator for tech startups covers the all important step of building your first (software) prototype, sometimes known as an Minimum Viable Product or MVP. In this session, we cover why an MVP is such a critical stage and how you can get it right. We go on to help you work out what should be in an MVP and what should not, appraise several different routes for achieving an MVP and give tips on how to manage the project.

The session will be led by one of our highly experienced Tech Scale-Up Advisors and we will be joined by guests from local software developer Verticode, who will share their experience of building MVPs successfully for startups and other clients.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/3-building-your-first-app-low-and-no-code-solutions-for-tech-startups-tickets-754474071257

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/3-building-your-first-app-low-and-no-code-solutions-for-tech-startups-tickets-754474071257

Wed 6th Mar 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 6th Mar 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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TechForge Accelerator 2: Free Money & Support - Grants Accelerators and Other Forms of Support for Tech Startups

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The second session of our Accelerator for tech startups is an introduction to the many forms of support, both financial and non-financial, that can help enormously as you grow your business. We explain the benefits of Accelerators and Incubators, Mentoring and Networking and how to make the most of these, as well as offering a quick tour of various Grants that you might be eligible for.

The session will be led by one of our highly experienced Tech Scale-Up Advisors and we will be joined by Emma Marshall, who is currently leading the Cooper Project at Sheffield Technology Parks. Emma is also Chair of the Board of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and has had many roles in the Tech Ecosystem in the past including as Founder Member of Sheffield Women in Technology, at Sheffield Digital and as Ops Director at 3Squared.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2-free-money-support-grants-accelerators-more-for-tech-startups-tickets-754473298947

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2-free-money-support-grants-accelerators-more-for-tech-startups-tickets-754473298947

Wed 28th Feb 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 28th Feb 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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TechForge Accelerator 1: From Side Hustle to Startup - The Journey Ahead

The TechForge Accelerator from Business Sheffield comprises of 6 in-person workshop sessions designed to support the needs of technology-centred startups, especially those involving software. The TechForge Accelerator is best suited to founders who are at an early stage – for example you might just have an idea, be working on a prototype (or MVP), or have done some initial trading. You can book into one or more workshops in the series, depending on your needs. The workshops last just over 2 hours with an opportunity to network at the end.

The first session of our Accelerator gives you an overview of the ‘journey ahead’. As well as the providing you with a tried and tested routemap, the session is full of practical advice and tips on some of the steps you will need to take, and pitfalls to avoid, in order to create a strong foundation for your software-based startup.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1-from-side-hustle-to-startup-the-journey-ahead-for-tech-founders-tickets-754470801477

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1-from-side-hustle-to-startup-the-journey-ahead-for-tech-founders-tickets-754470801477

Wed 21st Feb 2024 10:00am (Europe/London)

Wed 21st Feb 2024 12:15pm (Europe/London)

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Europe/London

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No

Yes