21 May 2025 - UA92 Manchester
Scaling, Innovating & Connecting Northern Tech
GRAFT is where the North’s top tech minds – CEOs, founders, investors, and policymakers – come together to scale, innovate, and lead. Expect expert insights, dynamic discussions, and game-changing connections to drive the future of Northern tech.
GRAFT... 21 may 2025
The North: A Thriving Hub for Tech Innovation
The North of England is home to a fast-growing tech ecosystem, where startups scale, innovation thrives, and opportunities are endless. With world-class talent, ambitious founders, and a collaborative community, the region is shaping the future of tech. Now is the time to be part of it.
Northern Tech in Numbers
Who Attends GRAFT?
Entrepreneurs
Founders, CEOs and Business Owners.
Innovators
CTOs and Innovation Specialists.
Backers
Investors, Accelerators and Incubators.
Regulators
Policymakers, Local Authorities.
what Makes GRAFT Different ?
The North has plenty of potential- but few platforms for actionable collaboration.
GRAFT fills that gap.
- Insights: Exclusive findings from GRAFT.
- Scaling: Hands-on workshops for scaling challenges.
- Funding: Meet investors, VCs, and accelerators.
- Networking: Connect with founders and industry leaders.
Morning Agenda
09:00
Pick up your badge
(pink for founders, blue for investors) and begin networking. Light refreshments provided.
09:30
The GRAFT ethos & Welcome to GRAFT 2025!
Hold onto your hats, because GRAFT 2025 is kicking off with a bang! This isn’t your average welcome session – it’s a call to arms. We’re diving headfirst into the heart of the Northern tech scene, comparing our progress to leading global hubs and unveiling a roadmap for growth.
Expect a high-energy session packed with data-driven insights, bold predictions, and a rallying cry for collaboration. This is our chance to show the world that the North is not just rising – it’s ready to lead.
- Alexandra Balazs, Managing Director, Prolific North
- Matt Robinson, Head of Nations and Regions at techUK
09:45
Keynote
Fireside chat with Amman Ahmed – Founder of MusicforPets
Described by press as “Petflix” – making relaxing music and tv for pets based on years of research. Amman bootstrapped the company to profitability and 50 million pet users. His company was acquired in June 2023 by a major label in Hollywood.
In this fireside chat, we’ll delve into how Amman scaled MusicforPets without VC and how he’s learning to balance Northern grit and community values with hyper-growth US strategies. This is a session not to be missed for founders interested in bootstrapping or navigating the US market.
10:15
Northern Founder Growth Panel: Fuelling Innovation and Scale
We’re rallying up three outstanding Northern founders to learn more about their journeys and the growth trajectories of their businesses. What are the key drivers of their success thus far? How are they building high performing teams? What’s gone wrong and what have they learned from it? And what is it like to grow an ambitious tech business in the North? Join us to find out!
Moderator: Martin SFP Bryant, Tech Journalist
Panellists:
- Sean Brown, Founder of Versori
- Kate Longworth, CEO & Founder of Gaia Learning
- Sam Burgess – Founder and CEO of Partful
10:45
Funding the Future: Investor Insights
We’ve heard the founders perspective, it’s time to hear from investors now! What are they looking for in promising tech businesses and how is the investment scene shaping up right now? A conversation not to be missed for tech founders wanting to learn about navigating the funding landscape and securing investment.
Panelists:
- Jonathan Keeling, Partner at VC HAATCH
- Jess Jackson, Investor Manager, at Praetura Ventures
- Ranvir Singh, Ex-Founder & Investment Manager at GC Angels
- Kweku Ackom-Mensah, Director at GrantTree
Moderated by Neil Vose, CEO of EHE Venture Studio
11:15
Speed Networking Break
Facilitated conversations between founders & investors – no pitching, just real talk.
11:45
Lightning talk: George Fairhall, Founder, WAC
Georgina Fairhall is a female founder dedicated to supporting the lowest-paid workers nationwide. With first-hand experience working in the hospitality industry, she encountered a serious problem – not getting paid correctly. George founded WAC, a globally downloaded app, to empower hourly paid workers and ensure every minute of work is accounted for. George has raised over £1m in funding and is here to speak honestly about her journey so far.
12:05
Lightening talk: Joe van Gelder, CEO & Founder, POWDR
Each year, 40-50% of small business bank funding applications are rejected, with many discouraged from even applying. Joe van Gelder, with years of experience in financial modelling, co-founded Powdr in 2022 to democratise this process.
Fresh from Powdr’s £1 million pre-seed round, Joe will share his personal story of navigating an investment round, the lessons he learned, and Powdr’s growth plans, with a focus on how he aims to avoid becoming a bottleneck as the company scales.
12:25
Fireside chat: From Manchester to global payments: Scaling Ryft
From starting up in 2021 to securing millions in funding, Alex shares the journey of Ryft in their pursuit to disrupt the payments world. Learn how they’re empowering banks, tackling Europe and the US, and deploying investment for hypergrowth. This talk dives into Ryft’s journey including their £5.7m Series A funding and achieving profitability within two and a half years. If you’re a founder hungry for insights on scaling, international expansion, and securing serious investment, this is a must-see.
Alex Mackenzie – Co-Founder / Managing director at Ryft
13:00
Lunch & Networking
Join us for a networking lunch, where founders and investors can connect and chat.
Afternoon Agenda - Workshops for founders
After lunch, we’ve lined up a series of workshops for founders. These focused sessions have been carefully crafted and packed with handy frameworks, practical exercises and examples of advanced strategies. Come with a problem, leave with a plan.
14:00
Workshop 1: Mastering Product-Market Fit & Measuring Traction
Facilitated by: Andy Barrow, Tech Partner at Praetura Ventures
Andy was the CTO of leading Manchester software business ANS Group Plc, where he led the technology team until the company’s sale to Inflexion Private Equity. As CTO, Andy was responsible for technical strategy across cloud computing, data analytics, application development and managed services. Today Andy oversees Praetura Venture’s tech investments and wider tech strategy.
15:00
Workshop 2: Unlock your ideal customer: a practical ICP Framework for Scale-Ups
A step-by-step framework to define and leverage your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) specifically for tech scale-ups. Learn how to identify your most valuable customers, understand their needs, and build targeted strategies for rapid, sustainable growth.
This workshop is perfect for you if:
- You’re a tech scale-up leader aiming for more efficient customer acquisition.
- You want a clear, actionable framework to define your best-fit customers.
Facilitated by:
- Stephen Kenwright – Consultant
- Mike Jeffs – Chief Commercial Officer at Hark
15:45
Closing Remarks & Networking Wind-Down
That’s a wrap on GRAFT 2025! Stick around for final chats and connections.
Our Sponsors
IDHL
Beyond Echo PR
Gateley
Colony
