Gymshark and Innovation Birmingham team up again to lift region’s tech SMEs

Clothing retailer Gymshark and digital campus Innovation Birmingham have launched a second round of the ‘Lift Your Business’ programme.

Following the success of the first campaign, the fitness clothing brand is now preparing to launch its next phase of business support for digital tech SMEs in the West Midlands.

Building on its partnership with Innovation Birmingham, the UK’s largest campus for digital technology businesses, Gymshark has recently reopened the doors to its pioneering business support centre as the brand strives to connect with the region’s brightest innovators.

Hosted at Innovation Birmingham’s iCentrum building, the #LiftYourBusiness incubator aims to drive growth and opportunity for tech SMEs through a structured programme of mentoring, providing businesses with the opportunity to access Gymshark’s global network and learn from the expertise and infrastructure of a brand that ships to over 180 countries across the world.

The programme sits within the Serendip Smart City Incubator at Innovation Birmingham and will be accepting applications from tech SMEs up until April 11.

It supported eight SMEs in the first cohort launched in August 2018, providing regular interaction with Gymshark experts and Innovation Birmingham advisors, free space, and access to the wider sports clothing industry.

Adam Harrison, head of special projects at Gymshark, said: “We’ve been extremely encouraged by the partnership with Innovation Birmingham, and it’s enabled us to give something back to the area that we call home. High levels of interest were shown for the first programme and over the last six months we’ve highlighted why there was such competition for places.

“We’ve been working with eight digital technology businesses all operating in a variety of different sectors, from workplace wellness, clean energy and fitness testing to mobile apps and performance coaching. Bringing the region’s brightest innovators together in one place has highlighted the collaborative commercial and social relationships that this can trigger.”

Taking the global sports clothing market by storm since establishing the business in 2012, Ben Francis began Gymshark by printing t-shirts in his parent’s garage, with the leading brand now operating 11 online stores across the world.

Gymshark was the fastest growing company in 2016 and now sits alongside five other commercial partners within the Serendip Smart City Incubator delivered by Innovation Birmingham, including TATA Motors, Barclays (Eagle Labs), National Express, the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and Transport for West Midlands.

Katharine Fuller, head of business support at Innovation Birmingham, said:
“In the six months that we’ve been working with Gymshark we’ve seen first-hand how a partnership between an innovation specialist and a sector leader can result in fantastic opportunities for SMEs. This platform of support has been launched at a great time for Birmingham, especially considering global attractions like the Commonwealth Games 2022, which will present opportunities for tech SMEs to implement their innovations.

“The #LiftYourBusiness incubator offers a great chance for entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow. We’re looking forward to welcoming the new cohort of businesses and supporting them with disrupting markets, raising investment, recruiting, growing and succeeding in the tech landscape.”

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