REACH Trade Mission takes diverse group of founders across the Atlantic
10 November 2022
Last month, 14 founders from Manchester and London embarked on a trade mission to Chicago, organised by The Growth Company’s Global Scale-Up programme together with the London & Partners Mayor’s International Business programme.
Tech entrepreneurs from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds took part in the Race Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Mission four-day transatlantic trip, meeting with some of Chicago’s biggest corporations.
Aimed at B2B tech sector founders, the trip helped participants to forge new connections and explore expansion and investment opportunities in the United States.
The group had the chance to take part in discussion panels and connect with some of North America’s biggest corporations, including Google, J.P. Morgan, Boeing, United Airlines, Motorola and Oracle.
Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE, CEO of ProtoEV, who attended the trade mission, said: “The REACH trade mission was a fantastic way for us to explore market opportunities for ProtoEV in the US and meet potential collaborators and investors interested in the rapid development of low-cost hydrogen.
“The access to top decision makers from leading corporates was a gamechanger for us. We’ll be returning to America in the New Year to follow on an investment offer with a major manufacturer in the transport sector. This is an opportunity we would probably never have had in the UK.”
The Growth Company’s Global Scale-up programme gives the city region’s SMEs access to a global market entry network alongside a combination of tailored coaching, international growth sprints and regular boot camps.