Catalyse Angel Network, a newly formed angel investment group established by Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and supported by Worcestershire County Council and Herefordshire Council, has announced strong early traction following its first two pitching events held in November 2025 and March 2026.
Across both events, ten high potential founders presented their businesses to an audience of local angel investors. Impressively, nine out of ten founders received follow up engagement from interested investors, demonstrating a powerful appetite for innovation and early stage investment across the two counties.
To date, £235,000 of investment has been offered to founders, with several additional conversations ongoing and further deals anticipated in the coming months. This early success marks a significant milestone for Catalyse Angel Network as it builds momentum and strengthens the region’s startup ecosystem.
Catalyse Angel Network was created to address a long-standing need for a dedicated, locally rooted investment community capable of supporting founders at the earliest stages of their growth. By bringing together experienced angel investors, local business leaders, and ambitious entrepreneurs, the network aims to drive innovation, accelerate business scale up, and attract and retain high value companies within Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Chris Orr, Catalyse Angel Network Lead, said: “I am thrilled with the response from both founders and investors in our first six months. The level of investor engagement and the quality of the businesses pitching demonstrates just how much appetite there is for an angel network in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Catalyse was created to bridge the gap between great ideas and early stage capital, and the momentum we’ve already built shows we’re on the right track. I would like to thank the founders, investors, funding partners and stakeholders who have been a part of this journey so far.”
Catalyse Angel Network is now calling on new angel investors including experienced entrepreneurs, senior executives, and professionals interested in backing local innovation – to join the group as it prepares for future events and deal flow opportunities. Angels benefit not only from access to vetted, high quality founders, but also from shared due diligence, co investment opportunities, and a supportive peer network.
The programme is also encouraging early stage founders from across Worcestershire and Herefordshire to apply to pitch at upcoming events. Catalyse is particularly interested in startups with strong growth potential, innovative technology, or novel business models and who are raising between £25,000 and £500,000 with SEIS/EIS in place.
Founders and prospective angel investors who would like to learn more, register interest, or participate in future events can contact the team for details.
info@catalyse-angels.co.uk
