Entrepreneurs in London’s biotech industry have been pitching for their enterprises today at a ‘Royal road show’ opened by Prince Andrew in the Mile End Road.
The Duke of York arrived to opened the one-day event at east London’s Rise London business space in Stepney Green this-morning, driving himself there rather than having a chauffeur.
He met company bosses making their pitch to a “Dragon’s Den” panel of mentors, potential investors and “angels”.
The Prince gave the entrepreneurs just three minutes each to make their pitch to the panel.
But the main aspect, according to his aide, was for small and medium-size businesses to make contacts with mentors and to network in the biotech area, even if they don’t manage to lure in the big investors.
The Duke’s idea was for the companies to learn how to pitch.
His Pitch@Palace project enables companies from around the UK to pitch their ideas at regional gatherings.
The royal roadshow moves on to Manchester and then Glasgow next month before a “bootcamp” in Cambridge for the finalists.
The main event is being staged at St James’s Palace on March 7, focussing on Biotech.
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