Over the past 12-weeks, Tramshed Tech’s Startup Academy supported by Google for Startups has coached ten exciting pre and early-stage tech startups across sixteen key areas of business development to include; idea generation, product market fit, marketing and sales, managing business growth, and investor readiness.

The triannual programme culminates in ‘Demo Day’ which took place at Tramshed Tech, Grangetown on Thursday 7th April. Ten tech startups pitched their business ideas to a panel of experts and investors in true Dragons Den style resulting in Porter, Avid and Surple being awarded a package of support from Google for Startups and ongoing support from Tramshed Tech.  

The three startups awarded the support package have identified innovation solutions to issues faced in the travel, healthcare and energy sectors.

Porter Founder Gary Piazzon is on a mission to make travel effortless, from discovery and booking, through to experiences. He is building a digital travel companion that is with you throughout your travel experience, not just at the point of booking.

Dr Laura Tan, Co-Founder of Avid has developed a proactive digital care platform that provides accessible health expertise and digital tools to help users engage in healthier behaviours before they turn into preventable acute events and chronic illnesses.

Surple, Founded by Peter Allan has developed a product that helps organisations to access energy efficiency – a challenge currently felt by many. Surple makes energy efficiency simple by analysing energy data from buildings to provide insights into the energy performance that anyone can understand and act upon.

Surple’s Digital Energy Expert (DEE) has already received rave reviews; “Since we started using DEE, we’ve already identified savings of £30,000 a year and are expecting to save even more in the future” says Ross Cudlipp, Energy Manager at Newport County Council.

Porter, Avid and Surple will now be provided with mentoring, access to contacts and products through Google for Startups as part of the support package as well as receiving ongoing support from Tramshed Tech. The next Startup Academy begins 5th May 2022 with registration closing 25th April. 

Gary Piazzon, Founder of Porter, said: "After a brilliant 12-week programme with Tramshed Tech’s Startup Academy, it was great to have the opportunity to celebrate the journey we've been on and pitch our business alongside the rest of the cohort. With such a high quality of businesses presenting, I'm humbled that Porter was named as one of the winners. I'm now really looking forward to the support that we'll get from Google, and where that'll help us take Porter over the coming months and years."

Dr Laura Tan, Co-Founder of Avid, said: "I've had a fantastic time as part of the Tramshed Tech Accelerator cohort. It's an incredibly supportive network and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone with a start up or idea that they are looking to take to the next level. Our mission at Avid is to empower people to better understand and proactively manage their personal health risks. We do this through a combination of accessible health expertise and data-driven digital tools, provided via a cost-effective monthly subscription to our app.

"We’re super excited by what is ahead for Avid and always keen to chat more to anyone who is able to help us on our journey to more proactive, personalised and predictive healthcare for all."

"The Startup Academy was incredibly valuable in helping us to further our ambitions and grow a wider network of entrepreneurs, investors and mentors. Surple has an opportunity to help businesses across the UK to reduce their energy costs drastically at a time where it's having a crippling effect on many. To make sure we are able to help as many businesses as possible we are raising our seed round to help us grow and reach those in need, the academy really helped us to get ourselves into a strong position to go out into the investor market with confidence. It's also been great to be surrounded by other like-minded entrepreneurs doing amazing things in Wales and beyond! Looking forward to working with Google and Tramshed Tech more in the future," said Peter Allan, Founder of Surple.

Jessica Phillips, Enterprise Innovation Manager and Academy Founder, Tramshed Tech, said: "We are delighted at the success of our latest Startup Academy - each and every entrepreneur demonstrated innovation and grit and watching them go from strength to strength over the past 12 weeks has been a fantastic experience. Huge congratulations to Porter, Avid and Surple who successfully secured a package of support from our incredible partners Google for Startups. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Google for Startups throughout 2022 and beyond to take our award-winning Startup Academy to new hights."

Anyone interested in joining the next academy can register any time before 25th April here.