news 7
‘Dragon’ entrepreneur to invest £10,000 in winning start-up Coras
Coras, a new investment initiative by a local entrepreneur Shawn Khorassani, has officially launched. Coras is inviting proposals from emerging businesses to take advantage of Khorassani’s expertise for a 12-month period, together with an initial cash injection of up to £10,000. The aim is to help a new company develop and fulfil the dreams of its entrepreneur, with the help of a dynamic and self-made millionaire.
Applicants can fill in a simple form online and will subsequently be invited to an initial meeting between December this year and March 2013. Following these meetings, companies making the shortlist will be informed and invited to a gala evening at the Hilton Newbury Centre Hotel on May 2, 2013, with one company winning the ultimate prize.
The Hilton Centre in Newbury will be the venue sponsor for Coras 2013. Sam Farmer, hotel manager, commented: “We are very excited to be involved with this project and showcase our hotel to the local business community.”
Khorassani remarked: “This is truly a unique event, the like of which has not been held in this area before.”
He described the three main purposes:
• to encourage and support a start-up providing mentoring as well as cash;
• to create an environment for dynamic businesses to interact with like-minded companies and individuals in order to generate a stronger local economy;
• to be inspired by the success stories of those who have built successful enterprises from scratch and added “This is even more poignant during the current climate of recession and the doom and gloom that is painted by observers.”
Coras 2013 is described as “a red carpet event: it is not aimed at your average business”. The initiative has been specifically designed for those companies who have the vision and aspiration to grow and truly set standards in their field.
ViewPoynt wins Launch Pad contest
Venturefest Oxford, the annual fair for innovators, investors and entrepreneurs, has announced ViewPoynt as the winner of its Launch Pad competition. ViewPoynt, a local start-up developing smartphone audio guides, was awarded £5,000 cash to develop its idea as well as free support services including legal advice from Manches and Henmans LLP, IP advice from Dehns, office space at Harwell from Oxford Innovation, coaching sessions from LeaderShape, accountancy services from James Cowper and a pitching slot at Oxford Early Investments.
Launch Pad is the business idea competition for Oxfordshire’s entrepreneurs. Rolled out last spring, participants were given a few weeks to submit a video pitch in which they had one minute to sell their ideas and encourage members of the public to vote for them. The judging panel made up of Venturefest board members – David Laskow-Pooley, managing director of Pharmafor, Dr Tim Bestwick, executive director business and innovations of the Science & Technology Facilities Council and Eileen Modral, national investor relations manager for the Growth Accelerator – assessed each entry before selecting the winner.
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www.wilkinskennedy.com THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 12/JANUARY 13 40695 WK Business Magazine ad
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