Cornwall Angel Network

Established in 2024, in collaboration with the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and the British Business Bank, the Cornwall Angel Network aims to act as an enabler of private investment into high growth, early stage companies with a local connection.

The network hosts regular events to creating an investment experience that is inclusive, efficient and rewarding for all parties involved.

This initiative is enabled through support from Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) via Research England.

What is the Cornwall Angel Network

The Cornwall Angel Network is an angel investment network hosted by Falmouth University. It launched in October 2024, with the University as its home, working in collaboration with the British Business Bank, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and the UK Business Angels Association.

The Network brings together experienced and new angel investors and creates opportunities for investment into high-growth, early-stage companies with a connection to Cornwall. Its members are high net worth individuals: a mix of finance professionals and recently exited founders, with backgrounds spanning finance, technology, media and retail. Companies pitch to members at private showcases held through the year. The Network’s role is to convene and to introduce. It does not give investment advice and the decision to invest is made by each individual member.

Since it launched, the Network has grown to 40 members, who have invested a total of £294,000 into eight companies. That investment sits alongside a further £2m+ raised by those companies from venture capital funds and other sources. Just over a quarter of the companies that have pitched to the Network have gone on to secure investment from it.

Cornwall Angel Network Anniversary Video

What the Network looks for in a company

Companies register through the Network’s website and submit a pitch deck, which we assess together with the British Business Bank and Cornwall Chamber of Commerce before a company is considered for a showcase.

The Network looks for a strong team of two or more with an execution plan; a clear and compelling value proposition; a scalable business model and financials; a developed product and market traction; SEIS or EIS availability; a commitment to sustainability and ESG principles; and a connection to Cornwall.

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How the University supports it

Falmouth University leads the development of the Network. It was established through the Launchpad Futures programme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and is now supported through Higher Education Innovation Funding. The University provides the staff time, systems and convening capacity behind the Network's showcases, member relationships and pipeline of companies.

Hosting the Network supports the sustainable growth of the regional economy, helps attract and retain talent and strengthens Cornwall's position as a cluster of creativity and innovation. It also gives Falmouth access to a body of entrepreneurial expertise that can be brought back into teaching and the student experience.

Launchpad Invest

Launchpad Invest is the new form of the University's Dragons' Den style pitch competition, approved by the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee in July 2026. It is delivered by the University’s Employability team with support from the Cornwall Angel Network and its angels and runs in two tiers:

Tier 1

Final year students pitch for a one-year mentorship with Network members, subject to convincing the judges of their business idea.

Tier 2

Alumni businesses pitch for in kind professional services support and for potential investment from Network members. Investment is not guaranteed and remains at the discretion of individual angels.

Applications open in November, alongside a workshop during Global Entrepreneurship Week, and are reviewed by a panel in January. Finalists then work with the employability team through a five week programme covering pitch coaching, business planning, public speaking and personal branding. The pitch event takes place in June.

Network members help judge on the day and provide the mentorship or investment that follows. The competition is open to final year students and alumni who are based in or contributing to Cornwall.

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Briefings will be held on both campuses ahead of the November launch, with a student campaign to follow.

If you would like to know more, or to talk about how Launchpad Invest might fit with your students, contact the Employability Team. For any other questions about the Cornwall Angel Network, contact the Investment Team.

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The Cornwall Angel Network supports entrepreneurship development within the student community at Falmouth and is a proud supporter of the Launchpad Invest programme.

To find out more, please contact the Investment Team.

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