Woodbourne Group launches fund for entrepreneurs

An investment company that says it will “champion the next generation of entrepreneurs” has been launched in Birmingham.

Tani Dulay, chief executive of property investor and developer Woodbourne Group, has unveiled a new early capital and pre-seed accelerator fund.

Woodbourne Ventures has £1m allocated to back promising Birmingham-based businesses. Its aim is to help the city’s entrepreneurs build successful businesses that will generate jobs and attract further investment to the region.

Dulay said: “It is enormously exciting to announce the launch of Woodbourne Ventures, a fund founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. This early-capital and pre-seed accelerator fund will enable remarkable entrepreneurs to build breakthrough businesses right here in Birmingham.

“Woodbourne Ventures will champion the next generation of entrepreneurs and wealth-creators who are striving to build exciting breakthrough businesses. We take our inspiration from the ideas, dreams and goals of talented individuals looking to take their vision to the next level.

“By being there at the very beginning, we will give founders the best platform to grow through the first stage of business development and then raise the necessary later-stage capital.”

He added: “Birmingham is such an exciting, vibrant city with a true entrepreneurial spirit which has been evident since before it became the city of a thousand trades. For start-ups it is the place to be, with access to a young and educated workforce and support available from organisations such as the West Midlands Growth Company and Woodbourne Ventures.

“We have a very successful track record in business and it is this inside knowledge of the start-up and growth process that informs everything we do. We will give our all to help these new businesses succeed and, with that in mind, we prefer to be the lead investor.”

Four companies have received funds to date – a clean-tech business that produces net zero concrete, a sustainable loungewear company, a fintech trading business and the fourth is a web3 based company which is to be announced shortly.

Woodbourne Group is the company behind £360m plans for the world’s first mixed-use, net zero carbon ready development in Birmingham.

A waterfront ecosystem, it will be a short walk from the new HS2 Curzon Street Station. The masterplan development of almost one million square feet is expected to boost the Birmingham economy by at least £151m and create more than1,000 jobs.

Curzon Wharf will provide a sustainable, mixed-use space incorporating accommodation providing up to 732 student flats, 265 residential co-living units with amenity space and up to 498 residential units.

In addition, it will include nearly 130,000 sq ft of office, R&D and life science space, over 3,000 sq ft of retail space, over 15,000 sq ft of leisure space, over 76,424 sq ft of new and improved public realm and 490m of walking and cycling routes.

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