BGF announces headline sponsorship of Birmingham Tech Week

BGF is one of the headline sponsors and host of the Scaleup Summit as part of this year’s Birmingham Tech Week (BTW23).

The UK’s largest regional tech festival, Birmingham Tech Week, is returning for what’s set to be its biggest to date. Taking place from 16-20 October 2023, the event will bring over 25 sessions and 150 speakers together, including tech founders, government officials and industry experts.

Over five days, around 7,500 attendees will attend venues across the West Midlands to take part in tech expos, skills symposiums, summits, and panel discussions. Developed by Birmingham Tech CIC, a not-for-profit community organisation, all funds raised through sponsorship are reinvested in helping to enhance the West Midlands’ tech ecosystem.

Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe, yet it produces the most inventions per year, with nearly 65% registered from across the region.

As part of BTW23, BGF will host this year’s Scaleup Summit – designed to bring tech and digital business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs together. The event will be held at BGF’s Birmingham office on Thursday 19 October and will welcome speakers from industry leaders.

According to UKTN’s regional tech report: West Midlands, in 2022, Birmingham jumped from fourth to second in CBRE’s UK Tech Cities list of leading tech hubs outside London – and the West Midlands region has nearly 6,000 tech companies, employing a diverse workforce of over 38,000 people. The region’s tech ecosystem is worth over £15 billion to the economy, while demand for tech jobs has surged by over a third in the last 12 months.

BGF’s Aaron Baker, investor in the Midlands, commented: “West Midlands’ tech sector has a lot going for it; from its great location and infrastructure, supporting domestic and overseas growth, through to its world-class universities at the forefront of innovation and attracting talent, which continues to create opportunities in the region.”

“What the combined Midlands region has done well is capitalising on the industries the regional economy was built on. The automotive and manufacturing sectors and its entire supply chain has seen exceptional tech innovation in the region – supporting renewable energy adoption at source, through to developing and delivering electric vehicle production at a large scale. This is alongside global leading verticals in the tech sector, such as Leamington Spa’s dominance in the gaming industry. All of this is because of the talent, experience, and rich heritage here – but most importantly, the willingness to keep moving forward.”

The Midlands is establishing its presence as a global tech hub and BGF is committed to supporting and funding more high-growth tech scaleups across the region.

Neil Inskip, head of BGF in the Midlands and North West

Since the first Birmingham Tech Week in 2019, the festival has grown 20% year-on-year. Sharing his thoughts about the progress of the festival and his hopes for this year, Yiannis Maos MBE, CEO of TechWM and Birmingham Tech Week, said:

“At Tech WM we’re on a mission to connect, amplify, and transform the region’s tech sector, and Birmingham Tech Week works to do exactly that. Bringing together some of the best minds in the business, shouting about and celebrating the work we all do and, in turn, working towards making the West Midlands the global tech hub it has the power to be.”

“BGF has a track record of backing businesses to achieve their potential and the team believes in the potential of the region’s tech sector. Businesses attending this year’s event will leave with new ideas, new connections, and a new understanding of the power the West Midlands tech sector truly holds.”

Birmingham Tech Week is now open for registrations and expressions of interest for speakers, sponsors, and fringe events. To register for BGF’s Scaleup Summit, please visit the Birmingham Tech Week website or contact Aaron Baker.