Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups

The Journey: Tom Oates from MyDaas (Part 3) - Getting Funding Fit

Sheaf Valley — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 03:15:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley has featured entrepreneurs from all kinds of sectors including edTech, foodTech, Internet of Things, deepTech and many more + ecosystem builders, investors and incubation managers.

This episode is with Tom Oates - founder of MyDaas. In May 2021, Tom agreed to participate in a rubric called 'The Journey' - we agreed at the time to record one episode every few months in order to track MyDaas's progress. This is his 3rd time on the podcast and it was great to hear how his startup is moving forward + how Tom is developing as a founder.

MyDaas aims to make data collection and usage more equitable, fair and ethical. It does so by educating the public about the way their data is currently exposed and then giving them the tool to control it better.

Get a ticket for Startup Weekend Sheffield here: https://event.techstars.com/event/SSrbFWDCsM

Don't forget to subscribe to Sheaf Valley wherever you are listening, follow my official Twitter account and connect with me on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Sam Chapman from The Floow - making mobility smarter and safer

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 11:21:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startup is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem and is on a mission to increase the visibility of and connectedness between founders in the Steel City. Sheaf Valley has featured entrepreneurs from all kinds of sectors including edTech, foodTech, Internet of Things, deepTech and many more + ecosystem builders, investors and incubation managers.

Episode 5 of season 3 is with Sam Chapman, founder of The Floow - a world leader in the InsureTech space providing software to better collect, use and make sense of car telematics data.

Sam has more than 10 years of experience as an entrepreneur and his valuable insights can be the foundation for every future founder to follow, particularly when it comes to targeting the right clients, recruiting the right people and looking for the right outcomes for your business.

Get an exclusive 'Decade Early Bird' ticket for Startup Weekend Sheffield here: https://event.techstars.com/event/SSrbFWDCsM

Don't forget to subscribe to Sheaf Valley wherever you are listening, follow my official Twitter account and connect with me on LinkedIn. Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Daljinder Singh from Shreem - connecting the creative industry and learning entrepreneurship on the go

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem and is on a mission to increase the visibility of and connectedness between founders in the Steel City. Sheaf Valley has featured entrepreneurs from all kinds of sectors including edTech, foodTech, Internet of Things, deepTech and many more + ecosystem builders, investors and incubation managers.

Episode 4 of season 3 features Daljinder Singh - founder of Shreem. Shreem is a platform aiming to connect young creative talent and enable collaboration and working together. Jinder comes from the creative sector, having built a career in local theatres, and is learning entrepreneurship on the go, trying to always keep utmost focus on the problem. She shares an interesting 'insider look' into the creative sector and how can it learn from the tech industry.

Links mentioned in the show:

Get an exclusive 'Decade Early Bird' ticket for Startup Weekend Sheffield here: https://event.techstars.com/event/SSrbFWDCsM
Come ask Patrick Speedie, founder of In-Part, anything at Startup Meetup Sheffield: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/startup-meetup-sheffield-qa-with-patrick-speedie-tickets-291344237457?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Join us at Startup Meetup Barnsley on Thursday, March 10th: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/startup-meetup-barnsley-powered-by-dmc-barnsley-and-transform-sy-tickets-255212466357?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Celebrate women in tech together with TEAM SY on Friday, March 11th: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/team-sy-international-womens-day-tickets-274270078187?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Transforming South Yorkshire: Martin Highett, Ioetec - Ensuring IOT data is trusted and secured

Sheaf Valley — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 08:15:00 -0500

'Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups' is a podcast created to bring founders from Sheffield and the city's startup ecosystem to the forefront of attention and increase the connectedness between and visibility of local ventures.

This is the first episode from the brand new rubric named 'Transforming South Yorkshire' and it features frounders from the Transform SY accelerator, part of the wider TEAM SY project. My first guest from the cohort is Martin Highett, Head of Business Development and Partnerships for Ioetec.

Martin joined Ioetec to ensure that the very important technology the startup created - data protection for resource-constrained IOT devices - will be properly deployed and applied, in accordance with the new legislations for IOT devices coming into play from this year. Martin is a scientist and one can feel that when talking to him - he wastes no words and rarely speaks if he is not fully confident in his statement.

HOW TO SUPPORT UKRAINE:

Urge your MP / Political Rep to support Ukraine and advocate for hard sanctions and taking Russia off of SWIFT
Donate to this Ukrainian charity: https://novaukraine.org/
Click here to donate to the British Red Cross and their Ukrainian mission
Donate here to the 'People in need' charity

Notes from the show:

Here is the episode with Mike Stephens for Transform SY
Visit Transform SY's website to learn more about us and in the meantime check Entrepreneurial Spark too
Subscribe to my Twitter account or connect with me on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening to Sheaf Valley and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Patrick Speedie from In-Part - connecting university research with industry R&D and getting acquired

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:15:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to imporving the entrepreneurial landscape in the Steel City by giving another platform to local founders, investors and startup support employees but also by increasing the connectedness in the region.

In this episode, I spoke with Patrick Speedie, co-founder of In-Part. Patrick shared his exciting story about In-Part's creation, growth and recent acquisition. He also opens up about the challenges he went through and what should young founders do make sure they are not working on a invalid business idea. Then he finishes with the details around In-Part's acquisition - why, how and what's next for him and his company.

Here are notes from the show:

Here are links to the 4 startup meetups coming in South Yorkshire - go to Sheffield; come meet us in Rotherham; visit the first meetup in Doncaster; or visit the Barnsley DMC for the startup meetup Barnsley
Click here to see what Startup Weekend is in a nutshell
Take a look at Mina - the exciting EV charging startup I spoke about in the episode
Click here to follow my Twitter page or connect with my personal LinkedIn account

Let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

David White from Papermill - Creating aesthetic documents and what makes a startup investable?

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:11:00 -0500

This is Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups - the podcast created to promote entrepreneurship from the Steel City and increase the connectedness between different organisations and bodies.

In the spotlight for today's episode is David White - founder of Papermill. David has an academic background but developed a passion for creating something from scratch and decided to utilise his software engineering skills to build a startup solving an academic problem - the head-scratching experience we all have when creating appealing documents in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

The word processing functions of those two applications are good, but when you need to do something more complicated, they can both be a pain and suddenly all writing focus is lost when you need 15 minutes to learn how to align your title with a left-standing image.

David wants to create software that enables his customers to create a great work. He is currently recruiting so if you are looking to join an exciting startup with a brilliant founder, this is your best shot - apply here!

From the show:

Read Transform SY's latest newsletter, subscribe to get all of them straight to your inbox or follow us on LinkedIn
Join the Startup Sheffield Meetup Group here
Come to Startup Meetup Sheffield next Tuesday, Jan 25th, at 6pm (tickets here)

Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Mike Stephens from Entrepreneurial Spark - what is an accelerator and transforming South Yorkshire's entrepreneurial landscape

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 08:54:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, with the goal to increase the visibility of and connectedness between local ventures, their founders, investors and other stakeholders while providing a lot of value to you, the listeners.

Episode 5 of season 2 is with Mike Stephens, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark and Programme Lead for Transform SY. Entrepreneurial Spark is an accelerator for entrepreneurs, Mike and his team have built over 20 accelerators throughout the years in various partnerships and different places all around the world. Now, Mike has joined forces with TEAM SY - a local tech ecosystem building project, to transform South Yorkshire with the 'Transform SY' programme that will see 60 entrepreneurs go through the accelerator in the next year and a half.

Links from the show:

Click here to get your free tickets for Startup meetup Sheffield: meet a co-founder!
Visit Sifted.eu
Check out FourJaw Manufacturing and what put them on the top 5 list of industry 4.0 startups in 2022
Visit TEAM SY's website and familiarize yourself with their programmes
Follow Sheaf Valley on Twitter, connect with my personal LinkedIn or donate via PayPal here

Let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Juri Knjazev from Alarmonit - computer vision and AI in the security industry

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to increasing the visibility of Sheffield's startup ecosystem and the connectedness between the different parts of it while delivering value to the listener every episode.

In this episode I spoke with Juri Knjazev from Alarmonit, a startup focused on developing the application of computer vision and AI for CCTV and security cameras. Juri studied Law in university but his interest towards technology and natural desire to solve problems every day led him to build a number of businesses with Alarmonit being his first SAAS.

Juri talks about the security industry and how computer vision can radically change the application of cameras, expanding their features to more than just observing and recording. He also shared what he thinks are the most useful traits a law student brings into the field of business.

Notes from the show:

Listen to Tom Oates from MyDaas, Joshua Faichney from Mealbase or Lei Nicandro talking about Startup Weekend - the first 3 episodes of season 2
Get your free tickets for Startup Meetup Sheffield and come meet Sheffield's startup ecosystem
Fill out this form to help me understand what you think Sheffield's startup ecosystem needs
Get your super early bird tickets (£20!) for Startup Weekend Sheffield here
Check out Startup Stash and find a tool that will help your startup
Check out Sorare, Vestiarie Collective, Mirakl and Sunday - the 4 French companies I discuss in the podcast
Check out Tickets for Good and Tutorful - the two brilliant Sheffield-based startups I spoke about in the local shout out
Listen to the episode I recorded with Steve Rimmer, the founder of Tickets For Good or donate to The Ticket Fund
Read more about the book of the week 'What you do is who you are' by Ben Horowitz

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening or to the official Sheaf Valley twitter page, connect with me on LinkedIn or you can also donate to this independent podcast here.

Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time.

What is Startup Weekend Sheffield (with Lei Nicandro, ex-winner and organiser)

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:30:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is the podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem with the goal of increasing connectedness between and visibility of its ventures.

Episode 3 of season 2 is dedicated to Startup Weekend Sheffield. Startup Weekend is the world's biggest entrepreneurial event organised everywhere around the world. The event spans across a weekend (Friday to Sunday), participants pitch their idea and then build them up until Sunday when they present their pitches trying to win exciting awards.

Startup Weekend Sheffield has a rich history and I'm happy to be organising another one along with my colleagues from the organising team. And one of my ex-colleagues in organising, Lei Nicandro, is joining me for the episode today to speak about the event. Lei also participated and won another edition which makes him even better at discussing the weekend.

Follow Sheaf Valley's official twitter account to never miss an episode or connect with my personal LinkedIn to get the notification when tickets for the Startup Weekend are live!

You can also support this independent podcast via a donation here.

Let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Joshua Faichney from Mealbase - Ethical food delivery, smaller comissions and happier restaurants

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is dedicated to increase the visibility of and the connectedness between members of the local startup ecosystem while delivering value to its listeners every episode.

Episode 2 of season 2 is with Joshua Faichney, founder of Mealbase. Mealbase is a startup focused on ethical food delivery, reducing the comission that food delivery services charge and keeping more money inside of the UK through taxes.

Notes in chronological order:

Don't forget to subscribe to Sheaf Valley's twitter page, connect with me on LinkedIn to never miss an episode or support this podcast through a donation.

Let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

The Journey Part 2: Tom Oates from MyDaas - data, ethics and netnography

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 11:30:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: Sheffield's startup ecosystem is a podcast dedicated to the startups, their founders and all other stakeholders involved in our ecosystem. My mission as the show's creator is to increase the visibility of and connectedness between local high-growth ventures and to deliver a lot of value to you, the listeners of this podcast.

Season 2 of Sheaf Valley starts with part 2 of 'The Journey' rubric where I trace the development of a startup from pre-validation stage to its launch. My guest on the rubric is Tom Oates from MyDaas (connect with him on LinkedIn here). Tom created MyDaas to solve the problems around the difficult relationship between companies and users when it comes to online data.

When we first spoke back in May (link to episode), he was just starting the validation stage of MyDaas and now, catching up after three months, it was great to hear about all the progress his team has made.

On top of my conversation with Tom, I also decided to share one resource and one book per episode that I think will bring value to you as listeners. The resource this week is from Techstars and is their 'Startup Toolkit'(link), a wonderful website with 20 sections to help your entrepreneurial journey.

The book this week is Lean Customer Development by Cindy Alvarez - a practical guide towards learning more about your customer, why would they use your product and what features you need to be working on.

I also spoke about Samdai and their VIP Membership card, check the benefits you would get from getting one here or check my conversation with Darren Forde on the podcast here.

Here is the link to the Startup Meetup Sheffield event on September 21st, secure your free tickets as soon as possible!

If you want to support the podcast, make sure you follow the official account on Twitter or donate here. Alternatively, you can connect with me on LinkedIn to make sure you never miss an episode.

Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Morgan Killick from Business Sheffield: Main Challenges for businesses throughout the pandemic and how to put yourself in a position to be funded

Sheaf Valley — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 13:45:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startup is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem with the goal to increase the connectedness between different parts and raise awareness about the great present and even better future of the startup scene!

In episode 22, I spoke with Morgan Killick representing Business Sheffield. Business Sheffield is the brand name for the council's department supporting businesses and Morgan is part of the 'scale-up' team that supports tech businesses with growing potential to reach the next stage of their development. Morgan also specialises in supporting startups looking to raise funds.

Having been a tech founder himself, Morgan has a plethora of experience in the tech space prior to the creation of smartphones and social media. In this episode he shares how interesting and different the time was but we also spoke about more recent topics such as the challenges businesses faced due to the Pandemic.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, an important part of Sheffield's startup ecosystem. Follow the official Sheaf Valley Twitter account or connect with me on LinkedIn to never miss an episode.

Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Funding in Sheffield: Manjit Sareen from Natterhub on developing your pitch deck and how much equity you should be willing to give

Sheaf Valley — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0500

'Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups' is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, its founders, the businesses they create and the wide network of support organisations that help them to thrive. The goal of Sheaf Valley is to increase the connectedness and visibility within our ecosystem by telling local stories to global audiences.

In episode 21, the first with Sheaf Valley's new format, I spoke with Manjit Sareen from Natterhub. Manjit is on the podcast for a second time having first guested with her co-founder Caroline Allams to talk about their digital literacy and safety for children startup. Now, she is back having put on her funding cape, discussing their investment journey and providing practical advice to founders from the area what they need to do to get funded and how to proceed once they've secured investment.

I also introduced my new rubric 'Stories, local and global' in which I talk about two startup-related stories, one from Sheffield and one global. In this episode I discussed Uni of Sheffield's pre-accelerator Demo Day that was held last Wednesday on June 9th and the global air taxi market.

Please send me your feedback whether you think the new format works, whether you enojyed the 'Stories, local and global' rubric, anything is appreciated as I'm trying to develop the podcast.

Subscribe to Sheaf Valley's official Twitter account or connect with my personal account on LinkedIn so you never miss an episode.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral part of Sheffield's ecosystem.

Click here if you want to support Sheaf Valley yourself

Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

EPISODE 20: Tom Oates from MyDaas - Validation stage, data as a service and how to know you've got a real problem to solve

Sheaf Valley — Sun, 30 May 2021 14:30:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, its fantastic founders, investors, program managers, etc., aiming to increase the connectedness and visibility of the ecosystem within the city.

Sheaf Valley celebrates a significant milestone with this episode, coming in at number 20!

In the episode I spoke with Tom Oates, founder of MyDaas. Tom built a career in tech having last created a thriving consultancy company. Last year around the pandemic and after the Cambridge Analytica scandal + the forming of a wider movement around data ethics and safety, he decided to finally pursue a life-long dream - build his own startup around data. But building a startup isn't as easy as deciding it, especially when you are in a moment of your life where your family depends on you.

That is why Tom went on the long and difficult road of validating his business first - is the problem I want to solve actually a problem, do people care about that problem, what would they use to solve that problem? Tom uncovers the secrets that no one in the startup world wants to talk about - validating is hard and if you don't succeed with it, you're wasting time and resources.

Tom also shares a nice spot in Sheffield to visit as the weather gets better and better, two fantastic books to read and ends on a high note with a goal that embodies the 'Big, Hairy, Audacious' principle.

Sheaf Valley is changing! From next episode I will start by telling two startup stories - a local one and a global one and then would proceed with a conversation which will either be founder-focused on topic-focused (e.g. talking about validating rather than talking for validating through talking about MyDaas). This is the best moment to subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, make sure to follow Sheaf Valley on Twitter or connect with my personal LinkedIn account.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks. Thank you for listening and let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem 20! episodes at a time!

Tom Wolfenden and Rose Tran from Sheffield Technology Parks - validating a startup idea and the ethos of Sheffield's ecosystem

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 02:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, its exciting founders and startups, investors and stakeholders from organisations supporting entrepreneurs. My goal with Sheaf Valley is to increase the visibility and connectedness within our city particularly when it comes to high-growth ventures.

In episode 19 I spoke with Tom Wolfenden and Rose Tran from Sheffield Technology Parks. Tom and Rose embody STP's mission - to help and uplift entrepreneurs from ideation to scaleup stage. In the episode we spoke about STP's different programs, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Sheffield's ecosystem currently, how can the investment landscape be improved and what makes our city unique.

Listen to the episode and subscribe wherever you do. Subscribe on Twitter too to get notifications for all new episodes, book recommendations and links to resources to use to develop your business. Connect with me on LinkedIn and visit the Sheaf Valley website to read about the initiatives that I'm trying to start in Sheffield.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks and it was a pleasure to have Tom and Rose on my podcast.

Let's keep connecting our ecosystem one episode at a time!

Chris Iveson from FourJaw Manufacturing - Machine monitoring on demand, creating something from nothing and how to spin-off university research into a startup

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 01:45:00 -0500

In episode 18 I spoke with Chris Iveson from FourJaw Manufacturing, a startup dedicated to increasing UK's manufacturing productivity. That is an ambitious goal but Chris and his partner, Robin, have developed a tool that monitors machines and is as easy to get as subscribing to Netflix. Chris talks about it in depth and also shares his vision on creating something from nothing plus of course the usual book and place advice.

Subscribe to Sheaf Valley wherever you're listening or to the official Twitter page. Alternatively connect with my personal LinkedIn where I always post about new episodes. You can also visit Sheaf Valley's official website and check the initiatives that Sheaf Valley is trying to start.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of our ecosystem. Thanks for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's ecosystem one episode at a time!

BUILDING ECOSYSTEMS: Samantha Deakin from Capital Enterprise - what are the building blocks of an ecosystem and how to measure the success of it

Sheaf Valley — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: a show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, its exciting founders, investors and stakeholders with the goal to increase the connectedness and visibility in the Steel City.

In episode 17 I spoke with Samantha Deakin from Capital Enterprise. Sam has been involved with startups since early in her career and was the first organiser of Startup Weekends in Sheffield. She is widely known as one of the go-to people in Sheffield's startup ecosystem and is the right person to lead Capital Enterprise's initiatives in Yorkshire.

In the episode Sam and I spoke about building ecosystems, Startup Genome and the way they measure ecosystem success, startup weekends and what is Sam's goal as part of Capital Enterprise. While the episode is about an hour, at least one more will be needed to cover everything we wanted to!

Subscribe to Sheaf Valley wherever you're listening and to the official Twitter page or connect with my personal LinkedIn profile. Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of our ecosystem.

Thank you for watching and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

BUILDING ECOSYSTEMS: Jem Henderson from Tech Nation - Yorkshire's startup ecosystems and why are deeptech businesses so valued in the UK

Sheaf Valley — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is dedicated to Sheffield's inspiring startups and founders, organisations supporting the local ecosystems and investors funding it. The podcast's main goal is to increase the visibility and connectedness of the ecosystem.

In today's episode, first of the 'Building Ecosystems' rubric, I spoke with Jem Henderson, Tech Nation's entrepreneur engagement manager for Yorkshire. Jem is the go-to person when it comes to startups and startup support in our region and shared some great insights into the development of our ecosystems, why did Sheffield get severely underfunded in 2020 in comparison to Leeds and Hull and what can be expected to be 'the next big thing' in startups.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of Sheffield's business ecosystem. If you want to never miss an episode, subsrcibe wherever you're listening or to the official Twitter account, connect with my personal account on LinkedIn or visit the official website to learn about initiatives I'm trying to set up.

Thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Mark Asquith from Rebel Base Media - Bootstrapping a 7-figure business and building a podcast ecosystem

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, increasing the visibility of its founders and the connectedness between the different stakeholders.

In episode 15 I spoke with Mark Asquith, THAT British podcast guy. Mark got into the podcast space very early - nearly 10 years ago, and since then has done it all - produced numerous podcasts, built software to help creators (Captivate - a podcast hosting platform, Podcast websites, Podcast Success Academy). It all falls down under the umbrella of Rebel Base Media which Mark leads from the center of Sheffield inside Sheffield Technology Parks.

In the episode you will hear Mark and I discuss the history of the podcast space, why did people start listening more and more. We talked about Captivate's success and how it was bootstarpped to 7 figures and what's the future for Rebel Base Media.

Subscribe to Sheaf Valley wherever you're listening or on Twitter to never miss an episode. Alternatively, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and check the official website of the podcast.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of our ecosystem.

Thank you for attention, let's connect Sheffield's ecosystem one episode at a time!

Erdem Ozturk from Productive Machines: Manufacturing in 2021, digital twins and what's it like to move from Istanbul to Sheffield

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 07:45:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem, its most exciting founders and startups and much more. Sheaf Valley's goal is to increase the visibility and connectedness within the ecosystem with the firm belief that our ecosystem has a lot to offer.

In episode 14 I spoke with Erdem Ozturk, founder of 'Productive Machines'. Erdem is exceptionally educated and when it comes to productivity and machines, I don't think I would want to talk to somebody else. In January 2021 he decided to build his own startup and fill gaps in the market that have already been validated - 'Productive Machines' was part of the Boeing Accelerator Cohort, a notable achievement for the young business.

Erdem also spoke about moving from Istanbul to Sheffield and what he likes and dislikes in South Yorkshire. A short conversation, but productive one - what else could be expected?

Subscribe to Sheaf Valley's official Twitter account or connect with my personal account on LinkedIn. Also visit the official website to learn about the initiatives that I'm trying to start in Sheffield.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, an integral part of Sheffield's startup ecosystem.

Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

AROUND THE UK: Lucy Blackley from Bombyx PLM - Product Lifecycle Management and Hull's startup ecosystem

Sheaf Valley — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0500

'Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups' is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield's startup ecosystem aiming to increase the visibility of startups and startup organisations in our city. 'Sheaf Valley' is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of Sheffield's ecosystem.

In this new rubric, 'Around the UK', I'm talking with founders from other cities in the UK to get their unique insights on their ecosystems and learn about new interesting businesses. The first episode is with Lucy Blackley, founder of Bombyx PLM. Lucy comes from a fashion background and Bombyx PLM was created after she identified how a lot of time goes into admin tasks and this time could be better utilised in solving way more important problems like sustainability and ethics in manufacturing.

Make sure you follow 'Sheaf Valley' on Twitter or connect with my personal account on LinkedIn to get updates on new episodes and to get recommendations on great books and resources for your startup. Also, visit the official website and learn about initiatives that I'm trying to build from the ground.

Thank you for listening and wishing you a wonderful day!

Lahari Parchuri from University of Sheffield - Managing enterprise in university and what can Sheffield's startup ecosystem do better

Sheaf Valley — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 17:52:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast created to support Sheffield's startup ecosystem by giving a platform for startup founders or employees, investors or any stakeholders and increase the visibility for local businesses.

In this episode I spoke with Lahari, an Enterprise Manager at University of Sheffield. Lahari started her role right before the Covid-19 pandemic and has had a strange but productive year. Now a pre-accelerator project has started at Uni of Sheffield and Lahari shares more about it with us, but also talks about books and what is needed for one to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, a local organisation supporting startups wih incubation projects, office space, tailored advice and more.

Connect with my personal account on LinkedIn or follow me on Twitter here and take part in the giveaway which starts on Monday. I'm giving out two books from the ones that guests recommended.

Visit my website to learn about the projects I'm testing.

Recommended book by Lahari on Goodreads

Thank you for listening and let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Darren Forde from Samdai - same-day deliveries and why would a professional rugby player decide to build a startup in Sheffield?

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast that gives platform to Sheffield-based startups and their founders, investors and stakeholders from the local ecosystem to talk about their organisations, to increase the connectedness within the ecosystem and raise awareness and the visibility of all the great ventures that are being started in the Steel City.

In episode 11 I spoke with Darren Forde from Samdai. Darren was a professional rugby player before deciding to build a startup as he identified a problem that many young people share. Then last year in reaction to Covid-19 he made a significant upgrade to his business and got involved with the local community, serving to them as a partner. Darren's answer to my question of what is his big, hairy, audacious goal for Samdai speaks a lot for himself so I would advise you to start the podcast now.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks, one of the integral parts of Sheffield's startup ecosystem.

Follow Sheaf Valley on Twitter or visit the website to learn more about the initiatives that I'm trying to start.

Also please fill in this 2-minute poll to help me making the podcast better.

As always, thank you for listening and let's keep connecting Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Paul Simpson and James Barthorpe from Food Circle Supermarket - food surplus e-commerce and what comes first - the idea or the drive to build a business?

Sheaf Valley — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast dedicated to Sheffield-based startups, startup-supporting organisations and ecosystem stakeholders. The show's goal is to increase the connectedness within The Steel City's startup ecosystem, to raise awareness about all the great businesses being started here and to drive more customers to them.

In episode 10 I spoke with Paul and James from Food Circle Supermarket, entrepreneurs passionate about food surplus and e-commerce. Paul and James have very different life stories and while I don't believe in destiny, the way they met and became partners feels like good fortune. They are very different but that makes them perfect for each other and they have built Food Circle Supermarket to the stage where in 2021 they will need to expand their team in order to sustain their growth.

Paul and James also are doing a podcast called 'Business Life' which you can check where they talk with other business founders but also discuss their own business in more depth.

Follow me on Twitter or go visit my website.

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks

Click here to fill a survey to help me make Sheaf Valley better!

Thanks for listening and let's connect Sheffield's ecosystem one episode at a time!

Simon Delaney from Databowl - building a world leader in B2C Lead Generation from Sheffield and are we going to get control over our data

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders, investors and startup ecosystem stakeholders to talk about their businesses and organisations, increase the connectedness in the ecosystem and raise awareness about their ventures.

In episode 9 I spoke with Simon Delaney, founder and CEO of Databowl, a b2c lead generation world leader. Simon was born in Sheffield and has been involved with the b2c lead generation field for more that 12 years, having built a media business first and then moving onto a SaaS one. Simon's knowledge about his industry, his ideas on data and concept of moving forward are very exciting and it was a genuine pleasure to talk to him. Also, he was probably my first guest who was also interested to hear me talking, and having the chance to talk is always a bonus for me!

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Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks

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Thank you for listening and let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Sheffield's Tech For Good: Steve Rimmer from Tickets for Good - Social enterprise and what's more important: mission or profit?

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders, investors and startup ecosystem stakeholders to talk about their businesses and organisations, increase the connectedness of the ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 8 I spoke with Steve from Tickets For Good, a startup trying to give everyone a chance to have a great experience at concerts, festivals, plays, etc. Tickets for Good is part of Bethnal Green Ventures, a leading accelerator for tech-for-good startups and Steve shares insights into that journey but also reveals what are the biggest differences between building a mission-driven startup in Sheffield and London.

Link to The Abbeydale Picture House

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https://www.sheafvalley.co.uk

Sheaf Valley is supported by Sheffield Technology Parks

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Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

James Hammond and Karl Green from Delivrbooze - building a business straight out of university and in the midst of a pandemic

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders, investors and startup ecosystem stakeholders to talk about their businesses and organisations, increase the connectedness of the ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 7, I spoke with James and Karl from Delivrbooze, an alcohol delivery startup in Sheffield. James and Karl graduated from Sheffield Hallam's business school in 2019 and 2020 and decided to start their first business so they can start gaining that invaluable experience, but also because they see a gap for alcohol delivery in Sheffield. James and Karl share what it was like to build a delivery business in the midst of a pandemic, how business education in universities could be enhanced and why do you have to serve every customer, even if that means a 3-hour round trip for a small order.

Follow me on Twitter to never miss an episode but also to get recommendations for some great books, podcasts and resources.

Lets connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Sheffield's EdTech: Manjit Sareen and Caroline Allams from Natterhub - what is digital intelligence and how can children be prepared to thrive online?

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders, investors and ecosystem stakeholders to talk about their businesses or organisations, increase the connectedness of the ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 6, part of the 3-episode series 'Sheffield's EdTech', I talk with Manjit and Caroline from Natterhub, a platform for children that enables them to acquire the skills needed to thrive in the online world. Manjit has tons of business experience while Caroline was a teacher (or, as she says, still is because 'once a teacher, always a teacher') and their skillsets compliment each other perfectly.

Manjit told me a lot about the funding journey (and promised to come to the pod again for a fundraising episode!) while Caroline dived deeper into the education system in general and what could be done to make it better.

Find me on Twitter to know when there's new episodes, I also post about books and resources that can help founders and future founders

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Let's connect Sheffield's ecosystem one episode at a time!1

Sheffield's EdTech: Amber Jardine and Emily Scicluna from TwinklHive - accelerating startups in Sheffield, EdTech in 2021 and what matters most - mission or profit?

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders, investors and ecosystem stakeholders to talk about their businesses or organisations, increase the connectedness of the ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 5, part of the 3-episode series 'Sheffield's EdTech', I talk with Amber and Emily from TwinklHive, the accelerator in-house for Twinkl, a world leader in providing teaching materials and resources. Amber and Emily know their accelerator from top to bottom and shared some valuable insights. With everything that TwinklHive provides in terms of support, it seems unreasonable not to try and apply for the accelerator.

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Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Sheffield's EdTech: Duncan Verry from AirSupply - Supply teaching, education and why remote learning should be widely embraced

Sheaf Valley — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders to talk about their businesses, increase the connectedness of the startup ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 4, part of the 3-episode series 'Sheffield's EdTech', I talk with Duncan Verry who is the CEO of AirSupply, a startup that tries to make supply teaching more transparent and beneficial for both teachers and schools. Duncan has loads of experience in recruitment and education and while I try to keep the conversation focused on AirSupply, I can't help myself but ask him about his opinion on education as a whole and the fascinating world of EdTech.

Duncan grew up in Yorkshire so he shares his interesting view on developing a business in Sheffield and, you guessed it, we talk about books!

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Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem one episode at a time!

Adiam Amanuel from 721 - How pivoting can be essential for a startup

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's Startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders to talk about their businesses, increase the connectedness of the startup ecosystem and raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 3 Adiam Amanuel, founder of 721, tells us her story full of travelling around the world, entering the world of entrepreneurship without a lot of background to the moment of creating her own startup back in Sheffield. With the main focus being on events, Adiam and her team had to make a lot of tough decisions in regards to the pandemic outburst in 2020 but her vision for 721 is too big for any pandemic to falter.

Adiam also shares what it is like to be a woman and a person of colour founder as both groups are underrepresented. Of course we talk about books and many more so tune in to hear it all!

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Maksym Sich from Aegiq - Deeptech in Sheffield and what is Quantum 2.0?

Sheaf Valley — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast that gives platform to the Steel City's exciting founders to talk about their businesses, increase the conectedness of the startup ecosystem and to raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 2 Maksym Sich, CEO of Aegiq, welcomes us to the world of quantum - why did he choose the path of a deeptech startup founder, what is the state of quantum tech in 2020, how valid was Google's claim of achieving 'quantum supremacy' last year and what could deeptech founders in the city do to increase the probability of success.

Maks shared which books he thinks everyone should read, his favourite places for a snack and drink in Sheffield and he had an amusing answer to what he would tell his 20-year old self if he could talk to him. Surprisingly, they wouldn't talk about Physics!

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Let's connect Sheffield's startup ecosystem together

Leigh Greenwood from Evergreen PR - The world of PR in 2020 and the Evergreen Methodology

Denislav — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Sheaf Valley: A show about Sheffield's startups is a podcast that gives a platform to the Steel City's exciting founders to talk about their businesses, increase the connectedness of the startup ecosystem and to raise awareness about the great ventures that are being started in Sheffield.

In episode 1 Leigh Greenwood, founder of Evergreen PR, discusses why he started a health-focused PR agency, what is the 'Evergreen Methodology' and how has the world of public relations changed in 2020. He also shares book favourites and places in Sheffield that everyone should visit - it's a packed conversation!

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