Led by the West Midlands Growth Company, in partnership with the Department for International Trade, winners will receive fully funded, export-focused consultancy and delivery, facilitated by trade and investment experts, OCO Global. This enhanced support will cover bespoke market research, go to market strategy and business development. Open to globally ambitious SMEs in the West Midlands, the winning companies were identified based on their key export readiness, market receptibility and innovation:
- Biomedical innovation company, Adapttech, plans to leverage the specialist export support provided through the Global Growth Programme to aid its expansion into new worldwide markets.
- Low carbon, tech-led fitness company, Energym, plans to harness its place on the Programme to develop a winning export strategy.
- Data-led employee wellness company Lumien, is looking to reach into the US and Canada markets, ahead of further expansion into the Far East.
- AI-led candidate screening company Complygate plans to expand its global footprint as part of its mission to improve the user experience for candidates and employers internationally.
- Cyber security cloud platform company Metcloud saw the Global Growth Programme as an ideal fit to assist its international scaling following a period of rapid growth within the UK marketplace.
The West Midlands Global Growth Programme is being delivered as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme (BATP) - the first economic legacy programme of its kind aligned to the Games, designed to strengthen bilateral ties between the UK and Commonwealth markets.
The Programme also provides support to international companies looking to grow in the UK, offering a further package of free support, including ‘soft landing’ office space at Bruntwood SciTech’s Innovation Birmingham – the region’s leading digital tech campus in the heart of Birmingham.
Neil Rami, Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company, said:
“Adapttech, Energym, Lumien, Complygate and Metcloud exemplify the many ambitious, leading-edge enterprises that are currently emerging from the West Midlands – the UK’s fastest-growing tech cluster. Chosen for their innovation and preparedness to begin exporting, these five winners have been able to capitalise on the region’s hotbed of young talent, wealth of resources and extensive support available for start-ups. The Global Growth Programme – one of the services we’re offering through the Business and Tourism Programme - will now provide these enterprises with the expert consultancy required to develop a successful export strategy, as they embark on the next phase of their growth chapter.”
With aims to build on the West Midlands’ status as the leading UK region for attracting foreign direct investment outside of London (with 145 FDI projects landed in the region during the 2020/21), the Programme continues to invite expressions of interest from international firms with ambitions to expand in the UK.
Commonwealth Games Minister, Nigel Huddleston, said:
"By promoting the West Midlands to the world as a fantastic place to live, visit and do business, we are ensuring the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games leaves a lasting legacy beyond the 11 days of sport.
"This innovative scheme will not only boost export capabilities, but will also offer exciting opportunities and support for international companies looking to invest in the UK. We are delivering on our promise to level up and drive growth across the whole country."
Roland Neal, COO of Adapttech, said:
“The West Midlands, with its large-scale healthcare ecosystem and world-leading education institutions, has proven to be an ideal base for Adapttech. This has enabled us to rapidly scale within the UK and we’re now ready to reach out into new worldwide markets. The Global Growth Programme will provide us with the support and expertise needed to realise this opportunity and achieve our vision of reshaping the future of the prosthesis fitting process.”
To find out more about the West Midlands Global Growth Programme and the free support on offer to support trade and investment to and from the UK, visit the Programme website.