In early 2021, eleven exciting and scaling businesses moved into the new home, Plus X to start their journey on the INSPIRE programme. The businesses are founded by some of the top entrepreneurs from Greater Brighton and beyond with products and services ranging from a caffeine free coffee alternative to a multipurpose platform and growth engine for Sussex businesses.
The INSPIRE innovation programme developed by the University of Brighton and based on world-leading research, informed, and shaped by SMEs. This five-month open innovation programme supports growing businesses to identify key partners, develop a bespoke innovation readiness review and action plan, and pairs them with their very own innovation coach.
Meet some of the BRITE businesses and their innovations below:
Compost Club
Intercepting food waste and regenerating soil since 2020, Compost Club is a company started by Michael Kennard with a purpose beyond profit. Diverting food waste from landfill or incineration is very important to Compost Club as well as creating compost full of the micro-organisms which give life to the soil and make nutrients plant available. This compost goes back to members and is also available to purchase from their website
Bare Cacao
Created and produced in Sussex by founder Aaron Newland. Bare Cacao is a healthy caffeine free, coffee alternative to create your own personal ritual, made from roasted organic cacao beans, one of the richest natural sources on the planet of Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, copper and potassium., and high in antioxidant rich flavanols.
Always possible
Kate Regester will be innovating on an exciting new development for always possible, a service-based consultancy that uses facilitation, design, problem-solving, storytelling and research to help ambitious organisations shape the future and create lasting impact. They join up the spaces between business innovation, skills, culture and place.
ParaStudio
Daniel Cushing is leading ParaStudio, a full-service branding agency here to do two things: light up your people and unleash your potential. The result is an empowered brand that fuels success, a powerful branding service that's bespoke to clients' budget and needs
MAD (Make A Difference) Courses
Thomas Graham will be innovating for MAD Courses. MAD Courses open doors for students to step out into worlds beyond the classroom. Connecting students to local communities and social entrepreneurs, MAD's programs encourage young people to investigate the world, broaden their perspectives, and communicate their ideas in exciting ways. Programs focus on sustainability, social innovation, and good enterprise.
Quickclass
Founded by StJohn Smith, Quickclass is the invention of a team of passionate educators, designers, developers whose mission is to provide the world's best mLearning solutions, starting in film and media related subjects. With a team spanning continents, Quickclass come together for the collective purpose of creating intuitive user experience - enhancing learning and saving teachers time that's better spent coaching students.
Antelope Agency
Managed by Jen Welford, Antelope Agency is a full-service marketing and creative agency, which has developed a unique formula for search engine optimisation. Alongside its standalone products such as brand development, stunning UX focused websites and social media services, the brand is now developing an accessible 12-week programme that SMEs can follow to take their SEO into their own hands.
Ledgrr
Founded by Rene Pavlides and Robin Ward, Ledgrr's are an accountancy firm with a difference. Ledgrr help creative businesses and scaleups proactively manage their finance function, so they can better understand their profitability and cashflow. They take the stress of finance and accounting away from business owners, so they can focus on what they love doing. Ledgrr are not just an end-of-year accountant businesses see once a year, they provide an extended finance team, working collaboratively with businesses, to achieve success.
Ixxy
Ixxy has over 10 years of experience in digital media and web development. Its founder Andy Baker is based in Brighton and has worked in the sector for over 25 years. He has grown the Ixxy team by finding skilled and experienced staff (such as Vanessa who will be leading the way on their Innovation plans) and sub-contractors in and around the tech hub that Brighton has developed into in recent years. The innovation project at Inspire is related to the development of a Geospatial data visualisation service using Python, Machine Learning, and 3D visualisation.
Rowan Orchid Architects
Rowan Orchid Architects was founded in 2008 in London by Lars Christian Schneider. ROA work on a range of different types of projects, from single family houses and interior design to conceptual schemes for large-scale regeneration areas, to product design, 3D modelling and visualisations. The use of a sophisticated parametric (3D) software allows working in virtual building models and general achievement of BIM level 2 standards, and assists with clash detection, scheduling and cost control.
County Business Club
Co-founded by Sam Thomas, County Business Clubs is a multipurpose platform and a growth engine for Sussex businesses. By bringing five different platforms together they have created a single business ecosystem that can support all businesses with different needs at different times in their commercial journey.
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