Creative tech trailblazers bidding to boost investment at national summit

Four of the region’s brightest creative businesses will be flying the flag for Hull and East Yorkshire next week at a national summit designed to boost investment in a rapidly developing sector.

Creo Plan, Feonic, Rubicon Bridge and Summit Media will head to The Big Creative UK Summit in London as trailblazers selected from more than 40 businesses who took part in the regional sessions.

Their aim will be to demonstrate their projects and products to potential investors at the event on Tuesday 4 March and then join colleagues from the Hull and East Yorkshire Creative Growth programme to present a regional showcase in Hull on Wednesday 26 March at the MKM Stadium.

Creo Plan, which is based at Priory Park, Hull, uses drones to deliver high-precision surveys, immersive digital experiences, and detailed spatial insights. Its work is in demand from defence projects, health sites and large corporates in various sectors. 

Feonic, based at the Newlands Science Park at the University of Hull, uses vibrations to develop a range of Whispering Windows audio products which have been picked up by major retailers including Harrods, Selfridges and Bloomingdale’s. The company is now researching how to use vibrations to create “micro energy harvesters”, with big, positive implications for anticipating servicing, preventing breakdown and improving safety.

Rubicon Bridge and Summit Media are both based at C4DI in Hull. Rubicon Bridge has developed an efficient, automated software solution that ensures seamless adherence in the heavily regulated international marketplace of food supplement and sports nutrition brands, with cosmetics coming soon.

Summit Media is seeking prospective new clients and potential investors to develop its Productcaster technology suite, which took support from the Creative Growth programme to build on its six-year track record of helping big brands and agencies improve marketing performance and make budgets go further.

The Creative Growth Hull and East Yorkshire programme is being delivered by the HEY Business Growth and Skills Hub in partnership with Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the University of Hull. It is one of 12 funded across England by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) and has so far worked with more than 45 businesses across the region.

Andrew Richardson, the programme manager at the HEY Business Growth and Skills Hub, said the initiative was set up to lead the further development of a sector identified as embracing more than 1,430 firms in the region, employing around 13,420 people  and contributing over £527m of Gross Added Value to the local economy. The Digital and Creative sectors, which collectively form part of the Creative Industries, are also named as one of the key sectors in the Hull & East Yorkshire Economic Strategy Framework, which will be developed into a full strategy following the election of a mayor for Hull & East Yorkshire on Thursday 1 May. 

Andrew added: “We are now telling our story through the words of some of our trailblazers. It wasn’t easy whittling more than 45 participants down to just four to join the national summit but they will carry with them the ideas and energy from their cohort colleagues.

“Our key messages are that Hull and East Yorkshire is a thriving place to do business, that all creative businesses are investible, and that the best way to grow a creative business – which often finds it challenging to scale up – is through collaboration and partnership. This comes on top of a culture of continuous improvement in everything we do.

“These showcase events are only the start of our journey to grow Hull and East Yorkshire’s talented creative business leaders but we envisage a bright and vibrant future for our region’s economy over the coming years.”

Simon Davison, CEO of Creo Plan, said: “From our early days surveying sites for utility networks we’ve been pushing the boundaries of geospatial technology. We’re looking forward to finding out how far we can take it, and who wants to come with us.”

Dr Kamlesh Prajapati, Director of Technology at Feonic, said: “We’re working to raise awareness of what we do, meet potential investors and demonstrate our products, because seeing and hearing is believing.”

Nicola Smith, Marketing Manager of Rubicon Bridge, said: “We’re ready to take the next step in our mission to be the leading regulatory compliance partner for food supplement, sports nutrition brands and soon to be cosmetics. The summit will play a pivotal role in preparing us for this journey.”

Jasmine Bradshaw, Client Success Manager at Summit Media, said: “We’re looking forward to showing people Productcaster’s current technology and getting them excited about our future plans for delivering a premium service to top tier brands.”