Are you an emerging tech business? Looking to secure funding to scale and grow? Baltic Ventures can help. We caught up with Community Manger Becca Harvey to get the lowdown on the hottest new accelerator in town.

What is Baltic Ventures?

We’re a new Liverpool-based, tech accelerator designed to support game-changing founding teams who are building the solutions and businesses of tomorrow.

Our mission is to create an environment where being based outside of London is no disadvantage to emerging technology companies, and to ensure that Liverpool is a city where exceptional companies and founders thrive.

Baltic Ventures has been established as a not-for-profit company and is backed by £4.1m of funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. As a result of this funding we'll be running 5 cohort accelerator programmes over the next 5 years and investing in 50 early-stage tech companies.

What’s your role at Baltic Ventures?

I’m the Community Manager and I’ll be supporting the founders that join Accelerator 2023, as well as the mentors, coaches, partners and investors that surround and support the programme.

I also work with the wider community in Liverpool and the North to develop the ecosystem with the aim of breaking down some of the barriers that stop founders making their ideas a reality.

Tell us more about the Baltic Ventures Accelerator 2023?

Accelerator 2023 is a 4-month cohort programme starting in September that’s designed to accelerate the growth and potential of 8-10 early-stage tech startups.

It’s open to highly scalable companies with an early product or prototype and the potential to make positive changes in the world. If you join the programme, you’ll get an initial £50,000 in equity backing and lots of support: tailored coaching and mentorship from business experts, exclusive VC investor meetings, access to the Baltic Ventures Talent Programme, a trip to Slush in Helsinki, tech perks, and access to the Baltic Ventures office space.

How do businesses apply to be part of the accelerator?

We wanted to make the application process as inclusive as possible. There’s a short pre-screening application form to confirm your eligibility (we won’t accept applications from companies working in gambling, tobacco, or defence for example) and if you fit the criteria, you’ll be invited to submit a full application.

We’ll then hold short interviews and shortlisted businesses will be invited to an investor day at the end of June, where we’ll decide which 8-10 companies will join Accelerator 2023 in September. The deadline for applications is June 9th, so it’s coming up quickly!

Why do you think it’s important to have a tech accelerator here?

Carl Wong, co-founder of LivingLens and Baltic Ventures, often discusses how he and his co-founder David Woods had to travel to London to join an Accelerator – one that changed the trajectory of their business and opened their eyes to a new world of investment and opportunity.

We have so much talent here, but all too often that tech talent has had to go to London or beyond to scale their business. We want to change that by supporting founders to start here and scale here.

Liverpool is an incredible city – did you see the Eurovision party we threw?! – and an ideal base for founders who want to start and scale companies. That's why the Accelerator is open to companies from anywhere in the world – because Liverpool is a city that will support them, and their companies, to thrive.

What do you think are the current challenges and opportunities for the tech sector in the region?

Recent research by Beauhurst and Praetura shows that Northern founders are more concerned with access to funding than any other region. In 2022, over 50% of equity deals were secured by London founders and more than 69% of money deployed went to London – the North West received less than 6%. Coupled with investment slowing over the last 12 months as a result of broader economic trends, you can see why it’s a major concern for founders in Liverpool and beyond.

But despite this, Northern cities are emerging as thriving tech hubs that investors want to back. Last year, Manchester-based tech companies raised a record £532m in funding, surpassing the likes of Rome, Warsaw, and Lisbon.

In Liverpool – not only is it one of the best places to live in the UK, we also have an amazing pool of talent, world renowned universities, a supportive public sector and an absolutely incredible creative and digital sector. It equals a fantastic place for tech companies to find, and carve out, opportunities for success.

What impact do you think the accelerator will have in the long term?

The accelerator has the potential to be part of something transformational. At our launch event, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram discussed creating the ‘Silicon Valley of the North’, it’s a massive ambition, and one that the Accelerator programme would just be one part of, but with the right investment and support we can unleash the potential of the amazing creative and digital founders in the city and beyond.

Globally, and locally, we’re facing some pretty significant challenges, and tech can help us provide the solutions. We’re committed to supporting founders who can balance people, planet and profit and build the businesses, and solutions of tomorrow. By having transformative companies that grow (and stay) in the city region we have a real opportunity to create a sustainable, high growth economy here.

You’ve got some exciting events coming up, what should people look out for?

June 7 is our final discovery session, where people can pop into the Baltic Ventures offices in Digital House to find out more about Accelerator 2023.

We’ll also be hosting a 2-day founders weekend in partnership with OneTech in early July. It will be a full immersion in the fundamentals of starting and scaling a business and we’re particularly looking to support people from black, asian, and ethnic minority communities, and/or those who identify as female, as LGBTQI+, or as with a disability.

We’re always looking for new people to partner with on events as well – so if that’s you, please do get in touch!