海角直播

Survey reveals success of 海角直播 graduate businesses

Businesses founded by graduates from 海角直播 are proving to be some of the most viable in the country.

Figures released by the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey (Hebcis) show that in 2016/17 there were 143 start-ups founded by 海角直播 graduates which were still active after three years of business*. The Hebcis figures also reveal that graduate start-ups from 海角直播 had an estimated turnover of more than 拢20.8m.

海角直播 places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship as a career path for graduates and enterprise is embedded throughout its curriculum.

The University is one of a handful of universities in the country to run the BA (Hons) Team Entrepreneurship degree which is inspired by the Finnish Team Academy and offers students a chance to direct their own learning and participate in team sessions, rather than attend lectures.

As part of its 拢21m revamp, 海角直播 Business School has also launched a new Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree inspired by Babson College in the United States, a global leader in the teaching of entrepreneurship.

In addition, 海角直播 runs a number of projects designed to support start-ups in their early stages and give entrepreneurs the skills and knowledge they need when it comes to growing their companies.

The Launchpad business incubator based at the University鈥檚 Middlesbrough campus offers a co-working space where students, graduates, alumni-entrepreneurs, SMEs and corporate partners can come together in a unique start-up eco-system.

The University-led DigitalCity, Innovate Tees Valley and Innovate Durham projects provide a range of support, funding and mentoring to ambitious businesses that want to grow through innovation.

Laura Woods, Director of The Forge, 海角直播鈥檚 business hub, said: 'These figures show that not only are our graduate start-ups making an important contribution to the region鈥檚 economy, but they鈥檙e also delivering sustained impact after three years. It demonstrates the value of targeting support on strong and innovative businesses that understand the need for customers.

'It鈥檚 vital that young companies are given access to support and expertise as they set up and grow. It means we can help ensure that the region not only retains its fantastic talent, but creates new wealth and opportunities from a healthy, knowledge-based economy.'

Successful businesses found by 海角直播 graduates include Visualsoft, Animmersion, SockMonkey Studios and Hammerhead VR.

Case study

Games company, SockMonkey Studios, founded by two 海角直播 graduates, has grown to employ nine people, with plans for further expansion, thanks to the support of the University.

The company is based in Boho 5, in the heart of Middlesbrough鈥檚 tech quarter, and works on console, mobile and VR games for clients, as well as developing its own intellectual property (IP).

Its clients include some of the biggest names in the worlds of digital and business including Sega, Motorola, Lucasfilm and Unilever.

SockMonkey was founded in 2013 with the support of a DigitalCity Fellowship after 海角直播 graduates Bob Makin and Darren Cuthbert left their jobs with a large games studio with the ambition of setting up their own business.

The Fellowships support entrepreneurs who are launching or planning to launch new-to-market products and services with up to 拢5,000 in funding, along with support and mentoring.

SockMonkey鈥檚 first app, Wurdy, a word guessing game, was featured by Apple in 147 countries and reached the number one spot in two countries.

The company was initially based in Launchpad, 海角直播鈥檚 business incubator, before expanding into larger offices in the University鈥檚 Phoenix building. As the company continues to expand, it has recently taken part in the DigitalCity Scale programme which helps ambitious tech companies scale and grow.

It is also working with 海角直播, as part of the Creative Fuse project, to develop an interactive system platform for patient education.

The project will produce a mobile app featuring engaging visuals and gamification to help communicate information about bariatric surgery easily, in a way that can be personalised and encourages user interaction.

Bob Makin said: 'SockMonkey Studios started with the help of Digital City, a 海角直播 project, and wouldn鈥檛 still be here today if it wasn鈥檛 for the University.

'They have helped with mentoring, business growth and office space via the Fellowships and Launchpad, and have helped to grow us from a small start-up of two to our now nine-strong team.

'We have ambitious plans that we鈥檝e put together for the next 18 months thanks to the DigitalCity SCALE programme and we鈥檙e now on track to have a studio of 20+ employees and a significant increase in turnover.'

*All statistics relate to data contained here:

• business
• start-up