We are delighted to announce some partners and supporters for our January 16th CEO Tales: Eric Ries, The Lean Startup in London.

We started with the intention of running a small(ish) event for Eric but it soon became clear that lots of people want to hear Eric speak. That isn’t too surprising – Eric  is a great speaker with a great idea. We really want to thank our partners who in supporting this talk, have made it possible for us to share Eric’s talk with a much bigger audience of people. Without them, we would have had to stop selling tickets now. You can still register to come http://ericrieslondon.eventbrite.co.uk/

If you are interested in raising your profile in the entrepreneurial/developer/investor ecosystem and might consider supporting this talk, please get in touch. We would be happy to talk.

Gold Partner

Eric Ries and The Lean Startup is brought to you in association with Tech City.

Tech City is home to technology, digital and creative companies. From the original Silicon Roundabout, an entrepreneurial cluster has grown up around Shoreditch and Old Street in East London, extending to reach the Olympic Park in Stratford. It offers opportunities for innovative businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals, from UK, Europe and beyond.

Silver Partners

Brown Rudnick

Brown Rudnick represents clients from around the world in complex business transactions and high-stakes litigation. With relentless focus on our clients’ objectives, we assist with business-focused solutions that address today’s ever-changing, ever-demanding competitive marketplace.  Our VC and Emerging Technologies Group represents both investors and technology companies at all stages of development. Because we advise clients on both sides of the table, we can provide a valuable comprehensive perspective.  We represent many leading technology VC investors in financing transactions in the US, the UK and across Europe.  Over the course of a decade, we have closed hundreds of deals, totaling billions of dollars.

DFJ Esprit

At DFJ Esprit we believe good venture capital begins with good judgment and good relationships. Our partners help entrepreneurs make their companies successful. In today’s world the best businesses have global ambitions from day one. The best venture funds have the networks to support those ambitions. DFJ Esprit is a member of the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Global Network, the largest venture network in the world with 140 investment professionals and over 600 portfolio companies. We’re entrepreneurs ourselves and are proud to have built our firm to its current size. We back winning companies and do everything we can to help them achieve and exceed their ambitions.

Fidelity Growth Partners Europe

Fidelity Growth Partners Europe is a venture and growth capital investor which backs technology entrepreneurs with aspiration for greatness. By combining a collaborative approach with a global network and a 40-year history of venture investing, FGPE helps companies accelerate their growth and become winners in their field. A strong track record in Europe includes investments in market leaders such as Newbay, Wahanda, Seatwave, InnoGames and Curam Software.  Fidelity growth funds manage about $1 billion globally and in 2010 FGPE raised a GBP100 million fund dedicated to backing fast-growing European technology companies.

Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs starting a business.

Springboard

Springboard is a mentorship-led accelerator program for startups. We provide seed capital, office space and – most importantly – that magical ingredient of “smart-community” with mentors and other entrepreneurs. Springboard comes in the shape of an intensive 13 week programme originally based at the inspirational ideaSpace, part of Cambridge University’s state-of-the-art Hauser Forum and is now in London from early 2012. The entry deadline for the 2012 London programme is 29th January 2012. http://springboard.com/

Media Partners

The Next Women

TheNextWomen.com is the first award-winning online Women’s Business Magazine and Networking Forum, with a focus on startups and growing businesses, led, founded or invested in by women. It brings news on business, events, funding and tech from a female angle and interviews and profiles Female Internet Heroes, making them notable and quotable. The NextWomen has the vision to become the international Female ‘Business Week’, both online on the i-pad and in print, while connecting women-led companies with each other, investors and experts.The NextWomen run Pitching & Funding events – Dragon’s Den workshops for women-led companies – Kitchen Dinners for leading entrepreneurs and other high profile networking events.

There is lots of festive email flying about at the moment and most people will have an inbox chock full of hugely amusing and thoroughly original Christmas/Holiday Season greetings from people you know slightly or companies that you don’t but you had to give them an email address to hire a car from when you were in Ulan Bator so they get in touch at Christmas offering you their best festive greetings and 10% off a car rental you have no hope of ever needing. Or something.

Anyway, nice that some companies are breaking that dull, predictable, tedious mould. Here is may favourite effort this week from one of our customers:

“20 Dec 2011

Annual reminder on ethics expectations and gifts & gratuities to REDACTED  Employees

REDACTED would first like to thank our suppliers for your support in 2011. We’d also like to remind you of REDACTED ’s expectations in regards to ethics & reinforce that our Code of Conduct prohibits our employees from receiving gifts, entertainment or favors from suppliers. Please read the 2011 Ethics, Gifts & Gratuities Letter.

Who is Affected:

All REDACTED Suppliers

When:

Ongoing

Benefits/Impacts:

Ensure clear communication on expectations for compliance to REDACTED ’s Code of Conduct.

Recommended Action:

We expect that the Supplier view and share this annual letter with the appropriate personnel at their firm.”

Ho ho. Happy Holidays.

• Some innovation in European tech journalism from @nero. This *might* be brilliant… http://t.co/dGp0zaLq #
• What's that? @Ericries talk Lean Startups, London, January 16th? What a top start to 2012. http://t.co/JVFGBvC1 #
• Fast Company proves best looking #InnovationAgents are Brits http://t.co/5RkXI9O8 cc @acton @huddle #
• Rockstar – Looks like @Ericries & The Lean Startup talk, London 16th January, will sell out this week. http://t.co/4CYEyRAi #
• Find bigger venue… @Ericries & The Lean Startup talk, London 16th Jan, will sell out this week. http://t.co/4CYEyRAi #
• Duedil is a great way to spy on companies & people. Free sign up. http://t.co/yqiw7EbE #
• Top weekend deliveries. #BoS2011 videos & Soda Pop Stop tasting dozen. http://t.co/ICDoSDl0 #
• Which #BoS2011 video should I upload & publish first? http://t.co/ICDoSDl0 Any preferences? #

We were sorry to see Neil Gaydon has stepped down as CEO of Pace plc – especially after we posted his talk last week… He did some pretty amazing work in the 5 years that he was CEO, turning round a mess of a business into one of the biggest UK technology companies.

With serial, ‘strategic reviewer’, Allan Leighton on board as chairman and a very tough year of trading, interrupted by supply chain issues that the company pinned on the Japanese earthquake and Thailand’s floods, it was probably, sadly, only a matter of time before Nigel was off. Mike Pulli, head of Pace plc’s US division will replace him as CEO.

In July, Neil spoke at the BLN Growth Forum and his talk considered how you turn round a lumbering technology beast. Neil took over at Pace plc in 2006 when the company was doing £250 million revenue, losing £25 million a year and sitting at number 4, 5 or 6 in almost all of the markets it served. Some really great, simple ideas about strategy and culture – so many companies focus on the strategy without the culture. These days, strategy is almost a hygiene factor in business. Creating the right culture is critical.

This is a great story from the 2011 BLN Growth Forum, July 5th in Cambridge. To make sure you don’t miss other talks, (and we have some brilliant ones coming up…), subscribe to our blog updates here.

P.S. Don’t miss Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup in London, 16th January. For information and tickets: https://thebln.com/event/18544/

• The James Webb Space Telescope brings a little awesome to the world. http://t.co/KoMk4lp4 #
• My 8 year old daughter's 2 minute guide to conference networking http://t.co/hji95URT #leweb #
• Should be fun. RT @ScanLifeUK Preparing for the BLN CEO tonight. Exciting! #BLNBIG #
• Useful. RT @neiltyson Not only does 12+1=11+2, but the letters "twelve plus one" rearrange to give "eleven plus two" #
• Barry Houlihan, "I just got back from Vegas celebrating sale of MIG. You seen the hangover? Everything but the tiger…" #
• In 1 hour? Bed, I hope! Then long wedding anniversary weekend with my lovely lady. Canny wait. Great to see you. FAR too long. M #

SOLD OUT.

Following the success of the first, sold out, BLN MiM Forum in 2011, our 2nd BLN Making it Mobile MiM Forum 2012 won’t be a slacker either.

Join us and 149 decision makers from multi-channel retailers, broadcast media, publishers, financial services as well as investors from the UK’s most interesting mobile companies. Find out who is making it in mobile and what you can learn from the leaders in the sectors. We’ll be discussing how mobile is enabling businesses make more money today.

The MiM Award 2012 will for the 2nd time celebrate 10 UK mobile businesses with the greatest potential to make their customers money in mobile. Last year’s Award saw 53 entries and active involvement from top tier VCs including Accel, Balderton, Fidelity Growth Partners, Intel Capital, M8 Capital, MMC Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Pentech Ventures, Vodafone Ventures.

Click here to visit the MiM 2012 microsite to learn more. You can watch Ilja Laurs’ (CEO, GetJar) talk from last year’s forum. It would be a shame to miss something like this again…

As with all BLN events, if you come and don’t feel you got value we will refund the full price of your ticket.

 

I loved this talk by Neil Gaydon, CEO of Pace plc, one of the largest British technology companies most people will never have heard of.

Neil took over at Pace plc in 2006 when the company was doing £250 million revenue, losing £25 million a year and sitting at number 4, 5 or 6 in almost all of the markets it served. Some really great, simple ideas about strategy and culture – so many companies focus on the strategy without the culture. These days, strategy is almost a hygiene factor in business. Creating the right culture is critical.

Even for a Yorkshireman, this is straight talking.

This is a great story from the 2011 BLN Growth Forum, July 5th in Cambridge.

To make sure you don’t miss other talks, (and we have some brilliant ones coming up…), subscribe to our blog updates here.