TEAM SY Going Global

By Ceri Batchelder 

As the name suggests, TEAM SY is a South Yorkshire-based project with the goal of stimulating the technology startup ecosystem in our region. Whilst South Yorkshire businesses are our main focus, we know that ecosystems function best when they are diverse and connected. So from the outset, we wanted TEAM SY programmes to benefit startups from anywhere in the UK, and even the rest of the world! 

Our first Get Funding Fit investment readiness programme in autumn 2021 attracted a number of international founders who had come through the Kollider startup visa programme – including a drone delivery business from Turkey, a regulatory compliance company from the Middle East and a Dutch speciality drinks business. By making South Yorkshire the launchpad for these companies in the UK market, our region is benefiting from their local spend, networks and recruitment. 

P4SY is a medtech accelerator, providing bespoke support for startups to integrate with the healthcare sector in South Yorkshire, providing a gateway to further market development across the North of England. The cohort is full of cutting-edge startups, applying technologies like Artificial Intelligence, gene therapy and new imaging approaches to clinical practice. Programme leads, Philippa Hedley-Takhar and Tamara Moon, are actively working with international businesses from Ireland, Portugal, Israel and Boston, USA.

An exciting new programme joining the TEAM SY stable is Blue Lake VC, an accelerator launched by two Ukrainians, that is focused on supporting international startups. The team has already created a presence in Sheffield Hallam University’s iLab for entrepreneurship, and is bringing their experience to enable local founders.

About the Author
Ceri Batchelder

Ceri Batchelder

TEAM Super Connector

Encouraged by this, through my Super Connector activity, I have been looking outside South Yorkshire to identify additional founders to join one of TEAM SY’s 16 programmes. I have recently connected with 5 startups in medtech, sportstech and property tech in the North West and North East of the UK, and from Romania on a recent trip, and am now exploring the best fit for them.

Attracting innovative startups to South Yorkshire is bringing an added dimension to our tech ecosystem and creating the potential for significant inward investment and job creation. This could be the start of something special!