A mechanical engineering student whose innovative invention could help save the lives of thousands of farm animals is set to represent the North East at the Climb26 business festival in Leeds.
Henrietta Newble will join a delegation of entrepreneurs and business founders attending the July event as guests of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, led by Kim McGuinness.
The 21-year-old managing director, who is also co-founder and president of Newcastle University Student’s Union Founders Club, will be seeking seed funding for her start-up AnFiTest – short for Animal Field Test – which is developing point-of-care hardware and data analytics for pastureland to prevent sickness in grazing animals including horses, sheep and cattle.
Henrietta, originally from Cambridgeshire, said:
“AnFiTest is starting in the UK but we want to expand globally.
“The business started a year ago but the idea came years before that.
“I grew up with animals and was dealing with multiple diseases they suffered that were directly linked to pasture grass. I wondered why we were not testing the grass itself instead of waiting for the animals to present with an illness.
“The idea was to move the care from reactive to preventative. I wanted to bring tech to a very untechy industry and move the care from hearsay and old wives’ tales to data-driven science and analytics.
“I love data, I love animals, so this is a dream for me.”
Henrietta will be one of twelve founders and small business entrepreneurs flying the flag for the North East at Climb26, billed as the UK’s premiere festival of business growth and innovation.
The entrepreneurs, who are behind startups including health and wellness and sports coaching apps, mining exploration software, and new medical technology, were selected to be guests of the North East MSA.
North East MSA Director of Economic Growth and Innovation Phil Witcherley said it is an opportunity for them to meet potential investors who could take their businesses to the next level.
“The North East wins when we show up as partners, not parochialists,” he said.
“We have world-class founders and a reputation for getting things done, and that makes investors take notice.
“Innovation and tech change are moving fast, which is an opportunity for our businesses if we give them the backing to scale up and grow.
“Climb26 will put our founders and entrepreneurs at the front of the queue for really transformative investment.”
The event at Leeds Dock on July 1 and 2 will showcase industry-leading innovation and provide investment-ready businesses with opportunities to make meaningful connections beyond their existing networks.
Building on the success of Climb25, which brought together hundreds of founders, more than 200 speakers and 250 active investors from across the world, the event will feature keynote sessions, interactive workshops and panel discussions covering the latest trends, technologies and challenges facing companies at every stage of their growth journey.
The festival programme will explore every aspect of scaling, from securing funding and attracting investment to building world-class teams and entering new markets.
Attendees will learn how to manage finances effectively, navigate the funding landscape, and gain the insights needed to fuel sustainable growth. The event will also deliver expert sessions on attracting, developing and retaining talent, refining go-to-market strategies, and harnessing key emerging technologies.
Henrietta said:
“Being involved with the North East MSA makes a massive difference to businesses like us.
“We’re small right now and don’t have a lot of resources so getting the exposure, the help and expertise they offer has really helped change the trajectory of this business.
“Climb26 is the opportunity to build connections across the engineering and chemistry innovation space and help with our seed round investment.”
Founder of financial guidance platform CaveManWF News Mudrik Zubeir Ahmed, from Newcastle, said:
“Climb26 is going to give us the exposure that we want and will help push this business to where it deserves to be.”
Founder of Investor Ladder and ClimbUK Gordon Bateman said:
“Climb26 is designed to empower ambitious businesses with the knowledge, confidence, connections and access to funding they need to scale successfully.
“We understand that navigating the world of growth and investment can be challenging, and Climb26 provides a platform for businesses to overcome those challenges with the help of industry experts, investors and peers. It’s about learning, connecting and taking action.”
The full list of founders going to Climb26 as guests of the MSA is Natasha Boulding, of Low Carbon Materials, County Durham, Sean Wainwright, of Virdrive, Northumberland, Stephen Mitchell of Tyneside-based SQCDP, Dr Kilian Eichenseer, of StratoBayes, County Durham, Benjamin Drury, of The Culture Guy, Northumberland, Professor Andy Whiting, of Nevragenics Ltd, Durham, Louise Thompson, of Myfolks, Newcastle, Pete Wilkinson, of Reclaro, Newcastle, Taha Ahmed Khan, or Wellerse, Sunderland, Mark Hadfield, of Dose of Human Reality on Tap, in Newcastle, Mudrik Ahmed, and Henrietta Newble.
For more information visit www.northeast-ca.gov.uk
The post Young North East Founder Takes Animal Health Start-Up to National Business Festival appeared first on Newcastle Magazine – Your source for inspiring Newcastle news.
