Manchester’s TechHub reborn as SpaceportX
TECHHUB, a London business that offers office space to technology entrepreneurs, has pulled out of Manchester, but the management team are continuing with a new venture called SpaceportX.
TechHub was launched to great fanfare two years ago as a franchise run by Doug Ward, Shaun Gibson, Martin Bryant and Ben Hookway.
It was considered a coup for the city to bag a well-respected name in start-up circles that could help it become a major base for digital entrepreneurs.
Mr Ward said it was an amicable split which stemmed from commercial pressures to sell desk space.
He said: “SpaceportX’s founding team are really focused on making Manchester a top five European start-up destination. For us a co-working space is just one part of what’s needed in the eco-system. The decision was made that Manchester was not really geared up for selling desk space and our focus is developing a community.
“TechHub is a commercial organisation so it didn’t make sense to have the commercial arrangement, although we are really grateful we had that franchise agreement. It was a mutual decision, we’ve been speaking about it for the past 12 months. We’ve still got all the same members and all the same sponsors.”
He added: “Co-working is one of the many different components needed to achieve the top five ambition. We’re less concerned with renting desk space and more focused on developing the community. We’re expecting to make two very significant announcements before the end of the year which will lay the foundations for Manchester to become a top five start-up destination.”
Mr Ward said there was sufficient demand in Manchester for space aimed at tech start-ups but conceded competition for tenants is strong.
“It’s important to factor in the current market climate which includes subsidised public desk spaces from publicly funded projects that in some cases are offering free or heavily subsidised desk space along with some property developers creating free space to drive people to their ventures.”
He said SpaceportX’s focus was to “achieve critical mass through collision theory” by bringing people together through world class events.
“It is a significant problem that we are not used to some of the best thinkers and doers in the worldwide tech community frequently coming to Manchester in a way that is meaningful for the whole tech community… but this requires us to focus as a team on developing the Manchester tech community as opposed to focusing on selling desk space.”
In an email TechHub’s co-founder Elizabeth Varley said: “The TechHub space in Manchester is currently closed but we’re looking at the best ways we can continue to support the community there and we’ll let you know when we have announcements or events in the area.”
SpaceportX has around 60 tenants and its chief executive is Shaf Choudry. Doug Ward, Shaun Gibson and Martin Bryant are involved, while Ben Hookway is working with TechHub in London and is also the chief executive of Lancaster University spin-out Relative Insight.
