Walmer Group Partners with Tech4Good South West

What is Tech4Good South West?

Tech4Good South West is a community for people using technology to tackle social and environmental problems. Its members work on climate, sustainability, health, education and social impact, and they range from first-time founders to established companies. The South West suits this kind of business. The region has universities with deep research in environmental science and health, a long engineering tradition and a founder community that tends to care about what it builds as well as how fast it grows.

Why are we partnering?

A good number of the companies we work with would describe themselves as mission-driven. They are developing new technology to reduce emissions, improve health outcomes or make services more accessible. They are also commercial businesses that need to pay salaries and reach the next milestone.

The funding conversation for these companies has its own quirks. Some investors do not know what to make of a business that measures impact alongside revenue. Some grant programmes are a natural fit and oversubscribed for that reason. And plenty of founders do not realise the technical work they are doing may qualify for R&D tax relief.

Tech4Good South West already has the community. We can add specialist knowledge of how innovation funding works. That felt like a sensible match.

What will the partnership involve?

The plan is practical:

• Funding clinics. One-to-one sessions where founders can talk through their options with someone who does this every day.
• Workshops. Plain-English sessions on grants, R&D tax relief and how to plan funding across the next two to three years.
• Events. Panels and discussions with investors and founders who have been through it.
• Introductions. Connecting founders to investors, advisers and potential partners where there is a real reason to.

None of it is a sales pitch. A founder who leaves a clinic knowing that a particular route is not right for them has still had a useful half hour.

What do impact businesses need beyond funding?

Capital matters. It is rarely the only gap. In conversations with impact founders, four other needs come up again and again:

1. Customers. Particularly a first paying customer who can act as a reference.
2. Technical expertise. Access to people or facilities that help prove the technology.
3. Commercial advice. Pricing, contracts and how to sell to large organisations or the public sector.
4. People who understand the model. Advisers and investors who do not need the idea of an impact business explained from first principles.

A single introduction to the right person can be worth more than a month of cold emails. That is the practical value of a community like this one.

What does a good regional community look like?

The South West already has many of the ingredients for a strong tech-for-good scene: research, talent, founders, investors with an interest in impact, and organisations willing to bring them together.

The work now is connecting those parts more effectively. Do founders in Plymouth and Exeter get the same access as those in Bristol and Bath? Do investors hear about companies early enough to be useful? Do researchers know how to turn a project into a business? Those are the questions we hope this partnership helps to answer, one conversation at a time.

How can founders get involved?

Founders building technology with a social or environmental purpose can join the Tech4Good South West community and look out for upcoming clinics and workshops. If a specific funding question is keeping you up at night, get in touch with us directly. We are always happy to have the conversation.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tech4Good South West?

Tech4Good South West is a community supporting technology businesses and individuals in the South West of England that are working on social and environmental impact, including climate, sustainability, health and education.

What does the partnership with Walmer Group offer founders?

It offers funding clinics, workshops, events and introductions to help impact-driven technology businesses understand and access innovation funding, including grants and R&D tax relief.

Can impact or tech-for-good businesses claim R&D tax relief?

Yes, if they are companies subject to UK corporation tax and are carrying out work that seeks an advance in science or technology. Having a social or environmental mission does not affect eligibility.

Is there a cost to attend the funding clinics?

Please check the Tech4Good South West events listings or contact Walmer Group for details of upcoming sessions.

Key takeaways

• The South West has a strong group of technology companies built around social and environmental impact.
• Impact founders need capital, and also customers, technical expertise and commercial advice.
• The partnership centres on practical help: funding clinics, workshops and introductions.
• More people in a room is easy. Useful relationships once they leave it is the aim.