Dec 31st

Your New Year's resolution: Join TechHub!

By Tech Hubber

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2010 has been amazing. In just five months of operation TechHub has become the place to network with fellow tech people, startups and entrepreneurs in London and from across the world.  It's brought the European tech scene together. Let's keep going! 

You can keep up to date with our events here.

Here are details on how to join.

Annual Membership:

£375 +VAT - 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year, drop-in hot-desking (subject to a 'fair use' policy).

All the benefits are
listed here.

Resident Membership:

Monthly desk rental is £275 +VAT. 
All the benefits are listed here.


You can apply for either membership here.



Happy New Year!
Dec 24th

Seasonal Closing for the Holidays

By Tech Hubber
Compliments of the Season to all! Especially our great Residents, Members, Sponsors (Google & Pearson) & Partners.

TechHub is open again on January 4th 2011. Our opening hours for co-working/hotdesking Members are the usual 9am to 6pm hours.

Residents (permanent desk people) continue to to have 24/7 access of course. 
Dec 21st

Video from our Silicon Roundabout special event featuring the Minister for Science David Willetts

By Tech Hubber
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(Click above or here for video)

Following the government's announcements about supporting tech businesses in London in the form of their "East London Tech City" initiative TechHub decided to bring together the community of tech companies around Silicon Roundabout to discuss the issues. On the panel, chaired by TechHub's Elizabeth Varley, was David Willetts, Minister for Science and Universities and Anthony Browne from the Mayor's Office.
 
TechHub is working with Number 10, the UKTI, the Mayor's Office, BIS and the Technology Strategy Board to make sure startups and high-growth tech businesses in the existing Shoreditch/Old Street tech cluster can make the most of the opportunities available. We invited tech companies in the area to the event to talk with these high level people about what their needs were. 

Some of the topics covered included:

• Early stage funding
• The role of universities
• The issues around recruiting talent to the area (and if this would be affected)
• The entrepreneur's visa and immigration issues
• And how will the government be supporting the existing tech cluster in Shoreditch?

At the end the Minister made a commitment to look a issues around venture funding and the appropriateness of education/IT courses in regards to how they map to startups.
One person asked if the BBC should be brough into the TechCity fold, perhaps in terms of their commissioning budget. Another person said this would be a bad idea as they'd simply recruit people out of startups and put up the price of talent again.
A show of hands showed very few Startups have been able to win government contracts.
On discussion was around giving access to small amounts of money to a lot of companies. The Minister said it would be hard to structure that.
The Minister also said it would be hard to give london Startups an exemption on national Insurance given the economics in the rest of the country.
Minister David Willetts said connections with universities will hopefully come with getting them to "look East".
The event was very much about Q&A and getting the politicians to listen to the concerns of the community. We hope you enjoyed the event. 

TechHub's aim is to support the tech industry by bringing together all the elements of the technology ecosystem. This is the first event in our series of events exclusively for the Shoreditch tech cluster, so look out for more coming from January.

We'd like to thank the UKTI and the Mayor's Office for their help in putting together this event.

Click here for video.
Dec 21st

Web site Service Sponsor wanted for TechHub

By Tech Hubber
After launching in the Summer, building our Member base and offering to the technology community, TechHub is looking to re-launch its website. We have a number of awesome ideas about what we can do to create not only a site that sings and hums for Members but one which can serve the wider industry as well. 
 
First off, we are looking to create a partnership with a Service Sponsor, (alongside our existing sponsors like our legal team Orrick and finance team at Crunch) who can help TechHub grow its online presence. In return we can offer profile amongst members and the opportunity to join in the amazing ecosystem we are bringing together, which is full of opportunities right now. 

At a nuts and bolts level we'd like our new site to manage the member application process, the booking of meeting rooms, events and desk space and act as a virtual social/networking space for the TechHub community. We'll be having sections which are solely for members, and public facing sections such as information about membership/pricing, blog posts, images, video and a few other resources we'll be putting together for consumption by the tech community.

TechHub is platform agnostic, however, open source platforms are probably going to be favoured since we'd like to work with our community at creating tools highly suited to networking the tech ecosystem together. If that means Drupal, Wordpress, BuddyPress, then fine, but it's an open discussion right now.

Right now the idea to get the right platform first and build form that in an iterative, lean manner. We already have a concept for the home page which is 85% there and the visual language already developed can be drawn on rather than reconceptualising the design. Ideally we want it to work across multiple devices (particularly mobile / touch systems such as iOS, Android etc). 

Bear in mind that TechHub members are early adopters of mobile technology so we want to be fully aware of that with the new site. And we are very much about showcasing members, sponsors and supporting partners, so being able to act as a hub for that is part of this.

To contact us with initial expressions of interest please email mike AT techhub dot com
Dec 16th

Temporary Host job available in Dec/January

By Elizabeth Varley
We're looking for a temporary Host to cover for the lovely Charlie while she's on holiday, and to potentially help with other holiday cover and events beyond this. If all goes well, you're likely to be first in line for future jobs at TechHub too.

We'll need you from Tuesday 4th until  Friday 14th January, and we'd like you to do a day or two before the 25th December too to get up to speed.

Details...

TechHub, the space for the technology community needs great staff to help us greet members, manage the space, set up events and more. We have a temporary Reception/Host job available for the London space

This is a great opportunity for someone who loves people and is keen to work in a start-up environment and meet great tech entrepreneurs and others. 

Core duties of the roles:

Reception

  • Greet members and guests
  • Manage the bookings for the co-working space and meeting rooms 
  • Answer the phone and queries
  • Book taxis etc

Facilities management

  • Set up the co-working space in the morning for 9am & close up at night at 6pm
  • Ensure kitchen is clear and cleaners have done their job, and replenish any kitchen and bathroom supplies
  • Check meeting rooms & set up
  • Oversee printing, consumables & maintenance
  • Manage any technical issues & order tech support visits where necessary
  • Liaise with the building manager regarding any problems

Event management

  • Oversee setting up the event space and catering (you’ll have assistance with the space/catering set-up)
  • Book and manage our event helpers and bar staff
  • Greet speakers and attendees
  • Manage the guest list

Role description

  • TechHub is open 9am – 6pm, so we'll need you from 8.45am to 6.15pm. We may ask you to stay later occasionally for events in the evening, which won't run later than 10pm.
  • Working on-site at TechHub London in City Rd, London EC1Y 2BJ (non-negotiable - cannot be done remotely)

You’re an essential member of the TechHub team and we’ll be relying on you to be the friendly, professional face of the space. 

You are:

  • Punctual, with excellent time-keeping and completely reliable – you’re such an important member of the team as you’ll be opening up in the morning or closing up at night and trusted with important responsibilities. We need to know you’ll be there when you say you will and are totally trustworthy!
  • Super organised – great at managing your time and workload to ensure everything gets done.
  • Friendly and personable with great communication skills – you love interacting with people and helping make their day the best it can be. Our members are lovely people and we know you’ll enjoy meeting them.
  • Excellent at remembering names and faces – you’ll be getting to know the people who visit TechHub and everyone loves to be treated like a valued member.
  • Great with using computers and the internet - you'll need to quickly get to grips with our booking and member-management systems, so good skills with the ability to learn new software, applications and technology is a must.
  • Ideally enthusiastic about technology and entrepreneurship – this is what we’re all about and we’d love our staff to understand why tech companies need TechHub and to gain an insight into what it’s like to start-up run a company.
  • Happy to muck in – some duties might be unexpected, or there might be times when it’s all hands on deck. We’re looking for people who want to see TechHub succeed and will get the job done.
  • Innovative, creative and proactive – you’ll be developing processes and working out the best ways of doing things. If you think something could be improved, we want to hear your thoughts, and we’d love you to anticipate issues before they arise, and take action where it’s needed.
  • The kind of person who goes the extra mile – you’re genuinely helpful and committed and these qualities won’t go unnoticed at TechHub, we believe in giving credit where credit’s due.

While we're seeking people who will really love these roles, there are great opportunities to move forward with TechHub in time, either into events planning and management or into a more senior club management role for one or more TechHub spaces.

Important: To apply, make sure you do the following:

  • email your CV to Elizabeth at hostjobs@techhub.com
  • include a covering email telling us why you're interested in the role
  • briefly detail your relevant experience and skills in the email. We want to see that you're excited by this particular opportunity.
  • include your salary expectations
  • and confirm you can work the dates stated 
 
Dec 15th

Exciting changes at TechHub - Members pop in for free!

By Elizabeth Varley


Since our launch in the Summer, TechHub has been in a kind of beta mode. We have been seeing how our model is matched to the marketplace of entrepreneurs, startups, technology engineers and members of the venture investing community. Since our launch in July, we've been plotting and planning all sorts of things, and getting some great feedback from our Members. We're really excited about 2011, and now than we're a handful of months old, we've had to chance to evaluate where we are.
 
With 5,000 square feet of space to play with, we've been working to bring as much of the tech community under one roof, with events, networking evenings and space to meet and work. It's fascinating to see the kinds of people popping in and out and the range of different businesses based here and visiting. It's been great to support our Members in all kinds of ways, including getting them press coverage and invitations to No 10.
 
Our membership is growing, and our resident desk spaces are filling up. And we have plans to attract mid-sized companies with a new office area in the space. 
 
But now it's time to 'pivot' our model, as the saying goes...
 
It was always our belief that while London has an awesome array of events and meetups, that there was one area that we've been lacking in: serendipity.
One reason the Mecca of Tech is Silicon Valley - apart from the thousands of other reasons and a 50 year history - is serendipity. You can literally walk in to a coffee bar, club or go to a baseball game and bump into people in tech. Like many others, TechHub believes that this is key to creativity and to the flow of new ideas that create new technology.
 
In Europe, our tech communities are so spread out that we have to go to a lot of events to connect. That's fine, but that means we are pretty much always in 'event mode' when really, some of the best ideas come when we least expect them.
 
Some of the feedback we've had from TechHub members who drop in to work is that they feel they either need to make plans to work at TechHub for the whole day or not, and they'd quite like to pop in for an hour here or there.
 
So today we are sprinkling even more serendipity into our business model. 
Originally Members - people who are not based at TechHub but who drop in to work now and again - had to pay a £10 fee for the day. For that, we think the 100 mbps uncontended wifi, free drinks, community and the chance to work all day in a great, fun environment surrounded by other tech people is pretty good. The fact is, you might spend at least that trying to get some work done in a club or a Starbucks during the day - where the wifi sucks and the surroundings are not great.
 
But we want to encourage Members to pop in now and again, even if it's just to say hello to someone they spot through the window. That's why we're now removing the daily fee for those who want to just pop in.
 
Because this new model will increase the flow of traffic through TechHub, we think this will hugely increase the networking opportunities of TechHub Members and thus the ability of Members to make serendipitous connections, boosting their businesses and social connections. And hey, that's the reason we exist, for our Members.
 
As a result of this new model, our Annual Membership will, as of Monday 20th, be increasing to £375 +VAT a year. BUT, if you apply for TechHub Membership before 20th December 2010, this one's on us.

YOU CAN APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP HERE
 
We think this will also accelerate our membership and make TechHub the default place to meet, network, work and hang out for the tech community in London.
 
Notes on the pricing changes
 
So to recap: from Monday 20th December, there will no longer be a daily fee for Members to pop in to TechHub. Woo hoo! 
 
We will be increasing the Annual Membership cost to £375 +VAT which is a fantastic deal for membership, but if you apply before the 20th December 2010, you'll be applying at the current price of £300 +VAT.
 
All existing members won't need to pay any increase until their membership renewal date. 
 
Use of the coworking desks at TechHub will be subject to a fair use policy, and we know that Members will understand this is necessary for sustainability given our low membership fee.

We know that our space is likely to get quite busy with this new pricing model, so if you'd like to book a desk for the day, you can still pay £10 +VAT and a space will be reserved for you, so you can be guaranteed of a space for the days that you choose.

 
See you @TechHub!
Dec 10th

TechHub Winter Party thanks to Viadeo, Webfusion & VeriQual

By Elizabeth Varley
Tonight's the night for festive fun to finish the year! We have loads of great startups, high-growth tech companies, VCs, angels, press and others coming along to celebrate 2010 with TechHub, and are very lucky to have some international visitors with us tonight as well.
 
We'll be giving away a free TechHub Membership tonight, so please do bring your business cards for our prize draw. And don't forget your secret santa gift (just something small), to put into our lucky dip. If you're taking photos or video tonight, please tweet them @TechHub using the #TechHub hashtag so everyone can see them. 
 
We'd particularly like to thank tonight's sponsors, Viadeo, Webfusion and VeriQual for their generous support of the event, and there will be a few folks around from their teams so you can buy them a free drink and have a chat with them about how they can help you. 
 
A few words from Viadeo...
 
Viadeo has over 30 million members including business owners, entrepreneurs and senior managers from a diverse range of organisations – both start-up and well-established – across 226 countries.
Professionals use Viadeo to enhance their career prospects, discover business opportunities and build relationships with new contacts as well as to create an effective online identity.
 
We strongly believe in supporting the start-up community by sponsoring events but also by offering developers the chance to integrate with our platform either by creating a Google OpenSocial app or by pursuing a more advanced integration via our API.
 
As an international network we understand how important social and cultural differences are in the way different countries conduct business. We have offices and teams located in the US, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Mexico and Canada where we form partnerships with local companies, organisations and associations and support locally run events.
 
For more information please visit us at www.viadeo.com or contact us at partnerships@viadeo.com
 
We'd also like to thank all of you for a great year. TechHub is now a spritely five months old and going from strength to strength. We couldn't have done it without the tremendous support of our wonderful Members who totally rock, and from our sponsor partners Pearson and Google who we're looking forward to more exciting activities with next year. To everyone who's supported TechHub, a genuine and heartfelt thank you.

See you tonight!


Mike & Elizabeth 

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VeriQual is a technology company specialising in Ruby on Rails, Drupal, Magento, CodeIgnitor, iPhone, Android and Blackberry. We work with some of Europe's leading start-up companies to help them build killer products. With multiple offices around South Asia and a sharp focus on Agile development methodologies, we are able to prototype at a fraction of the cost while not compromising on quality. If you are looking to prototype a product or want to enhance it to take it live, contact us on enquiries@veriqual.com 
Dec 10th

SVC2C 2010. Incubators - Are they a good or bad thing?

By Tech Hubber
Incubators, do they work? TechHub's Elizabeth Varley was on the Silicon Valley Comes to Cambridge event panel about this very subject. Here is the video.
Dec 8th

Heart of UK’s Silicon Roundabout picks Crunch.co.uk to sort out the numbers

By Tech Hubber
News release 
 
8th December 2010 
 
Heart of UK’s Silicon Roundabout picks Crunch.co.uk to sort out the numbers
TechHub – the co-working centre for technology start-ups at the heart of the UK’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ in London’s Old Street - has partnered with Crunch.co.uk for its accounting needs.   
TechHub CEO Elizabeth Varley and Mike Butcher, Editor of TechCrunch Europe, both co-founded TechHub (www.techhub.com) to meet the growing needs of technology entrepreneurs needing a base in London. Desk space, meeting rooms and event space are available cost-effectively, while working alongside like-minded business people encourages collaboration within the community.  
"Simple, accurate and inexpensive accounting is what start-ups, entrepreneurs and small companies need so they can spend their time focusing on what they do best. Having a great online service backed up by someone at the other end of the phone when you need them, without worrying about costs mounting up is one of the reasons Crunch's service is so suitable for the cost-conscious company," said Varley 
Aimed at freelancers, contractors and small businesses, Crunch.co.uk combines an expert team of accountants and easy-to-use online software. Its backers include Bebo co-founder Paul Birch and former Skype Chairman Michael van Swaaij. 

“It’s fitting that TechHub has chosen to partner with us as we are part of the new breed of game-changing online businesses that provide 100% of solution, not just part of it. TechHub members are often so busy with their startups they need the most time saving solution to their accountancy needs’ said Darren Fell, MD of Crunch.co.uk. “TechHub looked at software solutions and realised they needed modern accountant with expert advice, the annual accounts etc and the online solution in one place.” 

“TechHub is here to fill a huge gap in the market - helping startups get up and running quickly. And to that end it was a no-brainer for TechHub to partner with a startup that is disrupting the accounting space in its own right," said Butcher.
 TechHub will promote Crunch.co.uk as its preferred online accounting partner to its extensive community. Crunch.co.uk will also run workshops at TechHub.  
About Crunch.co.uk 

Crunch.co.uk combines a team of expert accountants with ridiculously easy-to-use online accounting software. Designed specifically for freelancers, contractors and small businesses, Crunch.co.uk is more than just accounting and is a vital business tool. The accountant and software service is available for a fixed monthly fee of £59.50. For this, users can invoice, add expenses, have their annual accounts and returns prepared and see the exact health of their businesses instantly with a fun, innovative and simple-to-use website with banking grade security. Crunch.co.uk is the next generation of accounting which replaces the traditional accountant. It takes the pain out of accounting and helps people live the entrepreneurial dream. 
Crunch.co.uk won ‘Innovation in Business’ at the Brighton and Hove Business Awards 2009 and is founded by online entrepreneur Darren Fell. Fell appears in the 2008 Courvoisier ‘The Future 500’ in association with The Observer’; a league table of the UK’s most talented business people and was also named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Sussex Business Awards 07/08. High profile online entrepreneurs – Bebo’s co-founder Paul Birch and former Skype Chairman Michael van Swaaij – are investors in the company.
 
For further information please contact: 
Richard Gurner / Claire Armitt 
flannel PR
01273 779492  
richard.gurner@no-flannel.com / claire.armitt@no-flannel.com
Nov 29th

Video: Is location still important for tech start-ups?

By Tech Hubber
The BBC's Rory Cellan Jones asked entrepreneur and investor Joichi Ito, and Elizabeth Varely, co-founder and CEO of TechHub, is  still important for tech start-ups?


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