Gen-Z talent startup crowned Brighton winner at South East pitch competition

After hearing from a selection of startups, the Brighton winner of the South East Startup Roadshow, hosted by South East Angels, has been announced: ERIC.

ERIC is a marketplace for young people who want to build skills before entering the workplace and organisations who are offering upskilling schemes, programmes, initiatives - currently focused on upskilling for careers in the creative industries.

Founders, investors, and key stakeholders from the startup ecosystem came together in Brighton, Sussex for the startup event as part of the South East Startup Roadshow event series. As a champion and investor in south east startups, South East Angels is running the roadshow event series with the aim of showcasing early-stage startups around the south east and building stronger connections across the regional startup community. Roadshow locations include, Brighton, Maidstone, Southampton, Guildford and London.

Startup founders, investors, and others in the startup ecosystem came together to foster a vibrant session that encourages collaboration and nurtures local early-stage startups. This event served as a platform for entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors, gain exposure, and receive valuable feedback to propel their ventures forward.

As one of the panel judges at the event, Jake Fox from South East Angels says:
“The quality of pitches was really high, and it was great to see a wide selection of ideas being presented. ERIC delivered a really clear pitch that communicated their fresh approach to focus, unique capability, and impressive traction. They have the potential to deliver real impact and career development for the Gen-Z generation.”

On the reason behind starting ERIC, co-founder Samanthan Hornsby says:
“My business partner and I struggled to get into the creative industries ourselves, due to lack of skills, confidence and networks. We wanted to stop other young people from falling into the same issues that we did and provide that clearer, accessible connection to the creative industries.”

Read more about the South East Startup Roadshow event series here.