A major European start-up conference is coming to Liverpool in September and organisers have revealed the speaker line-up. Tony McDonough reports

Organisers of a major European start-up conference coming to Liverpool in September have revealed a trio of speakers.

Liverpool Slush’D will take place in Stanhope Street, in the city’s Baltic Triangle on Thursday, September 14, Slush’D is regarded as one of Europe’s foremost start-up conferences.

First revealed in LBN in July, the event will bring together founders, investors and policymakers from across the continent.

Slush was founded by a group of students in Helsinki 15 years ago as a grassroots meetup for early-stage tech founders. It has been called a “celebration of entrepreneurial grit”.

Since then it has evolved to become a major annual event, attracting the biggest names in the start-up and investment community.

Organisers say the Slush model of fostering a tight-knit community of innovators and investors, and tackling the bottlenecks that hinder local start-ups from reaching their full potential has led to “exponential economic gains” for Helsinki.

Now a trio of speakers have been announced for the conference. They are: 

• Oliver Yonchev: Oliver is an entrepreneur, speaker and CEO of Flight Story, a marketing and communication company founded with Steven Bartlett, the Dragon’s Den star. Previously Oliver was MD of Social Chain AG, a world leading social media and e-commerce company.  His talk titled AI – Pay Attention or Die! promises to be an insightful exploration of how artificial intelligence is reshaping the tech landscape and society.
• Henry Whorwood: As head of Research at Beauhurst, Henry is a pioneer in tracking start-up activity and investment across the UK. Beauhurst’s data reveals that the tech ecosystem in Liverpool City Region is showing “promising growth” across all metrics.
• Phin Mpofu: A growth advisor at BYP Network – an AI-powered jobs platform for black professionals – Phin plays a crucial role in the journey of this London-based scaleup. BYP Network’s mission is to change the black narrative. He will be talking about the role of community and ecosystems in driving business success.

Liverpool Slush’D is the UK debut of Slush. Jonny Clark, director of Liverpool Slush’D, said: “We are thrilled to have these three trailblazers join us at Liverpool Slush’D.

“Their diverse expertise and pioneering spirit align perfectly with our conference’s vision to drive tech innovation and build a thriving ecosystem in Liverpool.

“We look forward to their insightful talks, sparking engaging discussions, and inspiring our attendees to shape a brighter tech future.”

In July LBN revealed that at Liverpool Slush’D selected start-ups would be able to pitch to angel investors on the day.

An angel investor is typically a high net worth individual who provides capital for start-ups or early-stage ventures in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity.

With the backing of Liverpool City Region Angel Network (LCRAN), start-ups from any sector that are scalable, revenue-generating, and possess protectable IP can apply for the opportunity to pitch their businesses.

Jonny added: “Slush’D is a must-attend event for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve in the tech industry.

“You’ll have access to game-changing insights, high-value networking opportunities, and exclusive pitches from some of the hottest startups on the scene.”

Click here to book a place at Slush’D. The event is being supported by Baltic Ventures, KPMG, Gather, and Growth Platform.