Venturefest chairman looking ahead to next year’s special anniversary (From York Press)

Venturefest chairman looking ahead to next year’s special anniversary

11:56am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Business news By Julie Hayes, Business editor

VENTUREFEST pulled a crowd of more than 1,800 people to York to talk about business despite the poor weather and economic climate.

The annual science and technology event had a buzz in the air as early as breakfast, said chairman Tony Hardy, who is already looking at plans to make next year’s tenth anniversary go with a bang.

He said: “Considering the financial climate, the turnout has been pretty good, on top of the fact that we have got a crowded programme that has clearly gone down very well.

“We have had a really good Innovation Showcase that’s really got some exciting businesses exhibiting in it and I have been particularly interested to see the different interactions between the start-up businesses, as well attracting attention from funders and business support.”

He said the tenth anniversary next year gave them, as well as businesses throughout Yorkshire, a platform to attract attention.

He said they hoped to raise more money from sponsors, including the big banks, and urged businesses to think of ways they could use Venturefest’s strong brand to their advantage, for example launching a new product.

He said: “So the message is come back next year, it will be here and I hope it will be even more startling and useful than I hope and think it has been this year.”

Go West as Leeds leads

DESPITE having a strong presence of York businesses exhibiting their innovations at Venturefest, the main prizes went to businesses from Leeds.

Aptamer Solutions, which develops molecular devices known as aptamers which can be used to replace antibodies in life-sciences research, such as diagnostics, therapeutics, biomarket discovery and nanotechnology, won £29,000 worth of business support in the Investment Competition, organised by the Yorkshire Association of Business Angels (YABA).

The Test People, which provides management information, such as web testing services to ensure sites anticipating peaks in traffic can cope with surges in visitor numbers, won a package of business support worth £12,000 in the Innovation Showcase.

The company, based in Seacroft, north Leeds, launched four years ago and currently employs more than 60 people.

Young medical technologies firm Crystec Pharma, from Bradford, was named by the judges as “one to watch”.

The prizes were awarded at a dinner held after the event at York Racecourse, compèred by the managing editor of The Press, Steve Hughes.