Manchester-based GC Angels has unveiled the first start-ups joining its new Venture Forward accelerator, a programme backing underrepresented Northern founders on their journey to their first institutional investment round.
Venture Forward, funded by Innovate UK, will run two accelerators over the next year, designed to equip early-stage founders with the knowledge, tools and investor connections needed to secure growth capital.
Run by GC Angels, the venture capital investment arm of The Growth Company, the first cohort unites 30 diverse businesses from across the region, spanning sectors such as health, financial services, wellbeing, agriculture and consultancy.
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60% of the cohort are female-founded, 73% are ethnic minority-founded, and 33% of companies on the programme either have a disabled or neurodivergent founder. GC Angels says these figures are ‘significantly higher’ than the industry average and demonstrates the programme’s ‘commitment’ to widening access to investment.
In addition, Manchester-based businesses form the highest proportion of the cohort at 47%, followed by Liverpool (13%), Preston (10%) and Sheffield (10%).
The programme will run for eight weeks from October 2025 and will include workshops, mentoring, access to resources and opportunities to network with investors and industry leaders.
Following the programme, GC Angels will offer up to £500,000 of equity investment to ‘standout’ founders in the cohort, giving them the capital to overcome early-stage hurdles and secure the resources they need for long-term growth.
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A second cohort will launch in February 2026, with the two rounds supporting a total of 60 companies from across the North of England.
“We’re very excited to be launching the first phase of Venture Forward this October. The response we received has been phenomenal – receiving over 150 applications from founders across the North. Narrowing this down to just 30 was difficult but means that we’ve assembled an incredibly strong group,” says Marc Shirman, GC Head of Equity Investment.
“This first cohort highlights the depth of talent among underrepresented founders in the region, and the need for more early-stage investment opportunities. Through Venture Forward, we’re sharing our knowledge and experience as early-stage investors with ambitious founders and giving them unique insights into how investors make decisions. Our ultimate goal is to support more diverse founders with the backing they need to grow. I look forward to getting to know these businesses further over the next eight weeks.”
The full list of start-ups joining the first cohort:
- Ability Digital
- KOKU Health
- Uoto
- AdTecher
- Flocast
- Lexlytic
- Ndewo
- Mission C
- NanoBiotechnology Hub
- Applatch
- SafePlant
- Opulence Pictures
- Girostar
- AJ Lakes
- EcoGreen Living
- Pet Trust UK
- Vea Journal
- Erranza AI
- StoryVerse Studios AI
- Akari Health
- GoGetMeIt
- Breezemove
- PurFetch
- SyncIt Health
- PR Mastery
- Houseshare AI
- PWR Women
- Vesta Capsules
- CliniLink
- Avika
