One of the things I’m most proud of from my time at Sage is securing sponsorship for the Campus North co-working and event space for startups in Newcastle. Thank you Geoff Phillips (Head of Marketing) and Paul Cairney (Head of Brand) for agreeing to pay for this for the 2nd year in a row!
“Leading business software company Sage has renewed its sponsorship of Campus North and Ignite (‘the UK’s top pre-seed accelerator programme’) in a move that helps support Newcastle’s growing reputation as one of the UK’s premier hubs for tech startups.
Based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, over 4,000 people have visited the 10,000 sq. ft. Campus North co-working and events space since opening in May 2014. Since then, Campus North has established itself as a key component of the North East’s vibrant startup scene, becoming the premier destination for tech startups, developer meetups and networking events.
Sage was one of the founding sponsors of Campus North when it opened its doors in 2014, providing a £10,000 cash injection for events and business community development. Sage staff have also provided ongoing marketing support and mentoring at Campus North and Stephen Kelly (CEO, Sage Group plc) even gave his first public talk and Q&A there in March 2015 to an audience of students, entrepreneurs, investors, enterprise professionals and academics.
It’s another full house here @campusnorthuk for the @SKellyCEO talk tonight. Lots of new faces - great to see! pic.twitter.com/nSTzYFeJEF
— Ignite Accelerator (@ignite100) March 30, 2015
The extended sponsorship sees the UK’s only FTSE 100 software company strengthen its ties with Ignite and Campus North with a further £12,000 cash injection. Sage will also make more of their in-house experts and developers available for mentoring, masterclasses and to share the knowledge gained from supporting millions of small businesses around the world.
Comments on the announcement
Lee Perkins (EVP & Managing Director of Sage UK & Ireland) said: “Without doubt the North East is one of the best places in the UK to start a business. We have world-class Universities, people and ideas and we’ve seen first-hand how those ingredients can create amazing businesses with the right support.”
“Campus North is a fantastic initiative that is not just inspiring the next wave of entrepreneurs, it is a focus for the thriving entrepreneurial community and a place where people can come together to share expertise, insights and ideas. That open collaborative mind-set is one of the things that sets the North East startup scene apart and is one of its greatest strengths. Supporting and enabling that cross-pollination of thinking is something that everyone at Sage is immensely proud of.”
Paul Smith (Campus North / Ignite100 Co-founder & Director) said: “Sage has been a true partner of Campus North since the beginning and I’m excited about the opportunity this extension creates for the entrepreneurial community. Together, Sage and Ignite100 are helping to build a true Northern Powerhouse on the UK start up stage.”