Six more start-ups for e4f programme

SIX new tech start-ups have joined Innovation Birmingham’s Entrepreneurs for the Future programme.

The latest ventures are: Borroclub.co.uk, which is an online platform that enables people to borrow household items from others living close by; Eye Tracking Analysts, which is undertaking research and development on innovations in eye tracking; Hopper, which enables marketers to schedule posts on Instagram; Language Garden, which creates online interactive materials to teach literacy and languages; Stride Education, which is developing a 3D learning system; and Voltrics, which is undergoing product design and innovation in electronics.

Since the launch of the programme in November 2009, 111 start-ups have been created, with over £7.8m of investment secured during initial funding rounds.

Entrepreneurs for the Future is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). To date, close to 200 new employee and director positions have been created.

The six new start-ups will receive up to nine months office space, telecoms, meeting rooms and superfast broadband at the Innovation Birmingham Campus. In addition, they will benefit from structured mentoring from the Entrepreneurs in Residence, regular visiting expert sessions, a series of workshops and events, networking opportunities and peer-to-peer support.

Xercise4Less unveils new gym in Stoke

BUDGET gym operator Xercise4Less has officially unveiled its brand new £1m gym in King Street, Stoke-on-Trent.
 
The new club manager is Simon Pittman, who has more than 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry.

The Stoke Xercise4less club brings the budget gym operator’s total investment in Staffordshire to £2m. The group already operates a club in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Xercise4Less Stoke club boasts a number of trademark fitness zones including cardio, free weights, combat and a ladies only area, plus a large fitness studio that features more than 40 classes per week.

Woolcool opens new Staffs facility

AN eco-friendly, wool-based packaging system will create new jobs in Staffordshire.
 
Woolcool will officially open its new factory in Stone on Friday (July 3). Around 25 jobs have been created with a further 25 planned by the end of the year.
 
Using 100 per cent pure, clean wool that is too coarse for clothing or other textiles, the company has devised a way of keeping medicines and food cool for longer.
 
This means temperature sensitive medicines can be kept at the optimum 2-8°C during transportation across the globe, solving a crucial problem which has led to around 50% of vaccines being unusable on arrival at their destination.
 
“Woolcool is making pharmaceutical companies rethink their packaging and this will save lives,” said managing director, Keith Spilsbury. 

Burton business sees the light at Glastonbury

A BURTON business is revelling in the limelight after supplying lamps to the Glastonbury Festival.

Lyon Lighting, based in Wellington Street, supplied 1,200 LED golfball lamps to festoon the walkways and illuminate the paths for thousands of audience members at the famous five-day music festival in Somerset which finished on Sunday night.

The order for the ‘green’ lights came out of the blue – an inquiry on the firm’s website from the festival organisers a few weeks ago. The firm quoted the price and the order was confirmed.

“We delivered the lights direct to the festival just before it opened,” said proprietor Will Chisholm.

“I watched the festival on television and was delighted to see our lights being used. I was honoured and proud to have supplied the lights for such a great occasion.”