15/05/2015

Minister Launches StartplanetNI

An initiative designed to help high potential start-ups access early stage support and investment in Northern Ireland has been launched.

Invest Northern Ireland has contributed £2.6m to establish a seed accelerator – StartplanetNI which will focus on attracting both international and indigenous businesses with technology based ideas in the Knowledge Economy sectors.

Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Jonathan Bell, said: "Supporting ambitious entrepreneurs to develop innovative start-ups is critical to building Northern Ireland's next generation of world class businesses.

"The Start Planet accelerator will help to build the community for high potential start-ups in Northern Ireland and enhance both our entrepreneurship culture and also our finance market.

"Each team will get access to intensive mentoring, a co-working space and seed capital funding to help them develop the capability and knowledge to succeed internationally."

The Start Planet NI accelerator will be delivered by SOSventures in a purpose designed facility, which will from part of the Revolution brand of co-working spaces being developed by the company. SOSventures is a venture capital company based in Cork and San Francisco that invests in technology start-ups globally.

(CD/JP)

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