Law firm Michelmores’ angel investor network is to stage an event in Bristol next week during which four female-founded businesses will be given the chance to pitch for investment.
The event, on Tuesday 27 February, is also aimed at recruiting more female angel investors as well as helping accelerate the growth and diversity of angel investing in the South West.
Taking place the week before International Women’s Day on 8 March, it is the debut Bristol pitch event for MAINstream, which was launched by Michelmores in 2019 and is a UKBAA (UK Business Angels Associate) registered network.
It now has more than 65 member investors, seeking opportunities to actively invest in – and provide ongoing support to – innovative start-ups and exciting disruptive ventures. Many of its members have themselves started, scaled, and exited successful businesses.
The four businesses pitching to investors at the Bristol event will be:
- Eleria, which has developed a portable menstrual cup cleaner. It was launched by two students at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- Peequal, also launched by two University of Bristol students, is the UK’s first ‘touch-free’ female urinal.
- Drinks Kitchen, which makes a non-alcoholic aperitif in Somerset.
- GN3RA, a gamified digital fashion design studio where players can hyper-personalise, wear, share and trade outfits.
The pitches will be followed by a Q&A with an experienced panel of investors, advisors and founders.
The event, at the Wiper and True Tap Room in Old Market, will be hosted by Michelmores partners Chloe Vernon-Shore and Harry Trick, who lead the MAINstream team.
Chloe is an experienced partner in Michelmores’ commercial team, advising a wide range of clients on a spectrum of commercial issues that affect their businesses.
Harry is a partner in its corporate team and acts for scale-up companies on all stages of their equity fundraising journey through to exit, as well as regularly advising those who invest in them – including angel investors, venture capital funds, family offices and private equity.
Chloe said: “True equity in investment is something that I feel very strongly about. Being an angel investor means investing in an early-stage business before institutional investors are likely to be interested.
“This means that there can be a lot of risk but also incredible rewards, with some investors realising 10, 20 sometimes 100 times on their investment.
“Women identify market gaps that men might not see, for example a female urinal to combat crazy lavatory queues, for the benefit of other women.
“It is great to be playing a small part in achieving that equity, and just before International Women’s Day.“
MAINstream regularly holds pitch events throughout the year where high-growth, early-stage companies are invited to present to the network. Upcoming events can be found here.
Michelmores’ female partnership stands at around 50%, which the firm said highlighted a positive step towards gender parity at the firm and reflected its continuing commitment to promoting and sustaining its inclusive culture.
To register for the Bristol event on 27 February click here
