Sponsors
Partners
Impacts & Outcomes
There are many examples of where the Missions have had impact on the companies attending: setting up subsidiaries in the US, raising investment, building new partnerships in the US and building new partnerships with other Mission companies. However, Polecat’s philosophy is that every business and organisation is “not just for profit”. For better or worse, every business has an impact on the world around it. We believe that a businesses’ customers, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders care about that impact. Our aim is to help others understand, mould and articulate that impact. It’s not about trading off profit and social impact. By staying true to their values and making smart choices,we think businesses can achieve both. Our long-standing partner on these Missions feels the same: the Technology Strategy Board promotes and supports UK business in order to increase sustainable economic growth and improve the quality of life. Bronwyn Kunhardt, co-founder of Polecat, has interviewed various world class thought leaders on their views on the impact of the Web, and the impact of the global economic downturn, on humanity. A selection are included here:
Sir Tim Berners-Lee
James Hendler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hendler
Steve Reubel
John Elkington
www.volans.com/about-volans/team/john-elkington
Here’s what attending partners and companies have said about previous Missions
“Having recently returned from California and seen first hand the amount of innovative work being done by creative businesses it is clear that both the UK and San Francisco must be open to new opportunities; particularly as we’re both hotbeds of entrepreneurial activity..I am therefore delighted that UK Trade & Investment and Polecat Ltd are collaborating on this mission”
Lord Digby Jones - Trade & Investment Minister
“The real story here is about these very successful UK business people who have embarked on innovative ventures in a new but growing sector. They are pioneers and we are working with them because we want to see them find their place in what looks set to become a successful international market.”
Iain Gray, Chief Executive, Technology Strategy Board
“The Clean & Cool Mission represents an amazing opportunity for the best of entrepreneurial UK talent to visit Silicon Valley to understand for themselves how the US has developed a complete cleantech innovation ecosystem and successfully commercialised ideas.”
John Steedman - European lead for Venturing, BP Alternative Energy
“There is pressing need for climate change mitigation and adaptation over the next 50 years and clean technology is already one of the world’s fastest growing markets. UK businesses in this field need to expand and thrive enough now to be able to keep a firm foothold in this market in the future.”
John Elkington, Founding Partner & Executive Chairman, Volans
“From TechCrunch’s perspective, it helped us send the message that we support UK startups’ desire to succeed”
Mike Butcher, TechCrunch UK
“The Web Mission represents an amazing opportunity for the best of entrepreneurial UK talent to visit Silicon Valley, and learn for themselves the differences that make the US a breeding ground for innovation and more importantly successful execution of ides. With a spark of inspiration the UK has every opportunity to replicate that success on UK soil”
Michael Birch, Founder, Bebo
“The sheer volume of applicants provides convincing evidence of the depth and breadth of emerging growth companies in the UK. The shortlist of companies selected demonstrates that the UK is able to produce credible web businesses”
Chris Grew, Senior Partner Venture Law, Orrick
“It was a great week. You all did an amazing job. It was possibly one of the most valuable things I’ve seen happening in the start up community within the UK. Well done to you all! A fantastic job. We (Oracle) are glad to have been associated with the WebMission.”
David Rajan, Head of Innovation, Oracle UK
“It is exciting to see the breadth of innovations from UK start up companies and imagine their role shaping the future of the Web around the world”
Juan Carlos Soto, Vice President, Global Market Development and Engineering, Sun Microsystems
“Innovation and entrepreneurial exploitation of new ides is key to the success of the UK economy and all its stakeholders. The Web Mission to Silicon Valley presents high growth companies with the opportunity to see how the leading entrepreneurs of our time have turned ideas into successful businesses. HSBC is delighted to be co-sponsoring the mission”
Steve Bottomley, Head of Commercial Banking, HSBC
“The Clean & Cool Mission is a fantastic opportunity for Aquamarine Power to showcase our world-leading Oyster wave energy technology in the US, as well as exchange knowledge, expertise and contacts with our American counterparts. At Aquamarine Power, we’ve gone from a technology concept to a successful business employing over 45 exceptionally talented people. We’re now looking forward to demonstrating our potential for commercial success on a global scale.”
Martin McAdam, Chief Executive Officer, Aquamarine Power (www.aquamarinepower.com)
“Web Mission not only gives you the opportunity to connect on a informal basis with some of the Valley’s most prolific and successful people, but can also build trusted relationships with fellow start-up entrepreneurs in one concentrated week, which might normally take a year.”
Andrew Scott, CEO, www.Rummble.com
“Although online collaboration is the future (naturally!), the chance to meet peers and business partners face-to-face is still an important part of doing business. The WebMission has opened lots of doors for Huddle which we hope will lead to great things.”
Andy McLoughlin, Co-founder, www.huddle.net
“For Slicethepie, Webmission delivered far beyond our expectations and as a result we established a number of new and meaningful relationships with financiers, potential partners and advisers. One of the most valuable weeks of the year to date.”
David Courtier-Dutton, CEO, www.slicethepie.com
“WebMission08 opened doors for GroupSpaces to meet and build relationships with some of the top entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists in the world. Not only did I have an action-packed and fun-filled week, but I’ve also taken away many valuable contacts I hope to keep for life.”
David Langer, Co-Founder & CEO, www.groupspaces.com
“The WebMission experience offered me a balance of seriously useful fact-finding, introductions to US contacts and funding as well as intense bonding with fellow UK entrepreneurs which would have been impossible to emulate in London.”
David Maher Roberts, CEO, www.thefilter.com
“In the Valley there are 1,000s of entrepreneurs who are working on and have already solved the problems you are facing. The quality of advice that you get in the Valley can be company changing significant. I had a 15 minute conversation with an entrepreneur in San Francisco. He had spent the last 3 years working on a problem that we were facing. That conversation has fundamentally changed what our focus was in marketing the business. Two weeks later our user sign up rate has tripled and the site is growing virally. I wouldn’t be surprised if I looked back in 3 years time and realized that was the conversation that made us successful. Without Web Mission 08 we might never have figured that out in time.”
Nigel Eccles, CEO, www.hubdub.com
“The Web Mission proved to exceed all my expectations in terms of the quality of the entrepreneurs that were selected to partake; the opportunity to get to know some of the leading figures in the Internet World, such as Michael Birch from Bebo; and the activities and social events that were organized by the Web Mission team. The event left me feeling enriched and enthused and a lot more connected in the Valley area than I thought possible in such a short space of time. I would highly recommend the Web Mission to any aspiring entrepreneur who is determined to become a leading web entrepreneur. It was great fun too and the social events made it one to remember. Top marks!”
Peter Ward, Co-Founder & Co-CEO. www.wayn.com