About the Top Tech Yorkshire programme

Applicant businesses join the programme using the form (click the ‘Join in’ button above). The form will give businesses who want to join the programme the chance to showcase their credentials in the following five categories: technological innovation, success/potential, customer service, environmental and sustainability, and their presence in, and/or contribution to, Yorkshire society.

Each submission will be reviewed by no less than four of our mentors, with each category awarded a score out of five in relation to each category.

The highest-scoring applicant businesses will be invited (but not required) to present to/interview with a panel of no less than four of our mentors, of which at least two will be different from the initial scorers. This will provide an opportunity for you to showcase your achievements and ambitions in person and explain what support you’re looking for (and from whom) to assist the next phase of your business’s development.

The highest scoring applicant businesses will be profiled in the Top Tech report as featured “members”. We anticipate profiling as many as 20 applicant businesses, with prominence given to the highest scoring member businesses. goes here

The Mills & Reeve Top Tech report will be launched across multiple channels, with the support of our marketing partner(s), and the members of our mentor cohort. 

We will hold an event to mark the launch of the report, for all our member businesses, mentor businesses, and the wider Yorkshire tech community. 

To ensure ongoing profile for both the Top Tech programme and all of our contributors from both the member and mentor cohorts, we will publish periodic profile pieces throughout the remainder of the Top Tech year across multiple channels, to shine a spotlight on the solutions and services they provide.

Content for our member profiles will be drawn primarily from the submissions made. Content for our mentor profiles will be produced in collaboration with you.

We will host a series of member-to-member roundtable sessions, in which members can have frank, peer to peer discussions about the issues they want to talk about. We will give members the opportunity to make anonymous suggestions for discussion topics, to be introduced by the session chairs, but also encourage you to be as open as you want to be, with all discussions held under Chatham House Rules.     

We'll also be holding a series of member to mentor roundtable sessions, similar in format to the member-to-member sessions, but with members having an opportunity to ask about and hear our mentors’ perspectives on issues of interest to them.  

Finally, but importantly, we will encourage and facilitate (but with no obligations) one–to-one meetings between members and mentors, so that you can get the help you need for your business to excel.

Top Tech Yorkshire is a programme designed to support and connect tech businesses in the Yorkshire region. In 2025, the programme has been expanded to include a series of events, networking, mentoring, and profile-raising initiatives aimed at fostering growth within Yorkshire’s tech ecosystem. The programme brings together tech businesses with mentors, supporters, investors, funders and other key service providers in the technology sector.

Top Tech Yorkshire is open to ambitious Yorkshire tech businesses looking to make a real impact in the industry. The programme is ideal for visionary businesses who are already making waves (or are growth minded), wanting to collaborate, and have typical Yorkshire resilience and grit, whilst being community driven. If your tech business is based in Yorkshire and you’re driven, growth-oriented, and ready to benefit from the experience, insights, and connections that Top Tech Yorkshire offers, we’d love to see your application!

Top Tech Yorkshire welcomes tech businesses of all sizes! Whether you’re an established tech business looking to connect and give back to the community or further raise your profile, a scaling company hitting growth milestones, or a small startup with big dreams, there’s a place for you here. Our only real criteria is a commitment to growth, innovation, and collaboration with a Yorkshire presence. So, whether you’re still at the kitchen table stage or already have a team and a skyscraper office, you’re not too big or too small – you’re just right for Top Tech Yorkshire.

There’s no set time commitment for Top Tech Yorkshire members – your level of involvement is up to you! You can choose to participate as much or as little as your schedule allows. However, we believe that the more you put into the programme, the more you’ll get out of it.

 Attending events, joining networking sessions, and engaging with mentors and fellow members will maximise the benefits you receive and strengthen your connections within the Yorkshire tech community. Whether you’re all in or just dipping a toe, you’re welcome to apply to become a member, and Top Tech Yorkshire is excited to support you on your journey!

Absolutely not. Top Tech Yorkshire is a completely free programme – no hidden fees, no fine print, no mysterious “admin charges”. The programme exists purely to help Yorkshire’s tech stars shine even brighter, without costing them a penny. So, bring your ambition, your energy, your challenges, and maybe a few business cards... but leave your wallet at home!

As a member, you’ll have access to:

• Mentoring from experience tech entrepreneurs and advisers.

• Networking events to connect with potential investors, partners, service providers, mentors and other member businesses, as well as to share experiences, contacts, and come together for the greater good of the Yorkshire tech ecosystem.

• Profile-raising opportunities to boost your business’ visibility in the Yorkshire tech community.

• Targeted support designed to help you expand your reach and develop your business.

We have run versions of Top Tech in previous years. Back then, it was mostly about the profile-raising. We took submissions from Yorkshire tech businesses, which were assessed by our panel of experts, and then we published a Top Tech Report which show-cased some of the most impressive businesses we saw. The Top Tech Report was published across multiple channels, including Business Desk and all the usual socials.

 We’ll be doing a similar for the 2025 programme. There will be a Top Tech Report again, and we’ll be publishing it across all the usual channels, but this time we’ll also be leveraging the networks of the long list of our mentors and supporters who are committed to supporting the cause. In 2025, we plan to get our members’ profiles lighting up on phone screens from San Francisco to Shanghai, and from Bedale to Barnsley.

Our mentors and supporters bring their impressive networks and a wealth of knowledge from various areas in the tech sector, including investment, corporate finance, intellectual property, recruitment, marketing and more. They participate actively through:

• Formal and ad hoc mentoring sessions (both group and one-on-one).

• Networking events to facilitate introductions and connections for members.

• Profile-raising to help members increase their reach within and beyond Yorkshire.

The 2025 mentor lineup is impressive, to say the least. It includes prominent figures like Jordan Dargue (Co-founder, Lifted Ventures), Stuart Clarke (Festival Director of the Leeds Digital Festival), and Georgie Lynskey (Founder and Director, G. Digital), along with legal experts, corporate finance advisers, and tech entrepreneurs from across the Yorkshire region. These mentors bring deep expertise and practical insights to help member businesses grow and succeed.

You can view profiles of the mentors on the Top Tech Yorkshire website. These profiles include information about their backgrounds, areas of expertise, and why they have chosen to be involved in the programme.

It is not marriage at first sight. Top Tech Yorkshire does not force anything. The programme provides a natural environment for members to find mentors they like, and for mentors to find members. Where connections are made, members can connect in with mentors and obtain access to their expertise and support.

Top Tech Yorkshire events will be scheduled throughout 2025, at various locations in and around Yorkshire. Members will be given exact dates, locations and additional information as each event approaches.

By connecting growing tech businesses with experienced mentors, investors, and service providers, Top Tech Yorkshire strengthens the entire tech community, creating an organic network of support and growth within Yorkshire’s tech sector.

To apply, visit the Top Tech Yorkshire website and fill out the short application form. Once submitted, our team will review your application and reach out with next steps.

For additional details about Top Tech Yorkshire, reach out to the team by emailing us at toptechyorkshire@mills-reeve.com.