Last night, we heard founder stories from global businesses built right here in Sheffield as entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors and policymakers gathered for The Digital Forge’s 'Start Here. Scale Here. Stay Here.' event at Cutlers' Hall.
As well as hearing the successes, lessons learnt, and future ambitions of growing businesses, delegates were treated to candid discussions from business and political leaders about the policy interventions, targeted services and fiscal strategies driving growth in Sheffield now—and how the region is building on this momentum as the devolution agenda gathers pace.
The event spotlighted two knowledge-led businesses based at Sheffield Technology Parks—a landmark Innovation Hub within the Sheffield Innovation Spine—and welcomed a number of founders to pitch their investment and collaboration opportunities to a live Sheffield audience.
Highlights from the Spine, included an interview with Mark Hughes of Chalkie, a pitch from Tim Corcoran of Deep Blue Biotech, and a keynote speech from Tom Wolfenden, CEO of Sheffield Technology Parks and one of the chief protagonists in the ideation and realisation of Sheffield's city-centre innovation district.
Chalkie, founded in Sheffield in 2024, is an AI-powered EdTech company used by more than one million teachers globally. One of Sheffield Technology Parks' Cooper Project success stories, Chalkie has already achieved £9 million in annual recurring revenue with a team of just 14. Mark Hughes spoke of their ambitions for continued growth from their Sheffield HQ.
David Richards MBE interviews Mark Hughes of Chalkie at The Digital Forge event. Photo Credit Rich Gill (Gilly Photography).
Deep Blue Biotech chose to base its labs and workspaces at Sheffield Technology Parks with a clear ambition to scale from Sheffield city centre. A synthetic biology start-up, Deep Blue produces sustainable chemicals from genetically modified algae—a product set to revolutionise the cosmetics sector alongside a wide range of other materials and manufacturing industries. Co-Founder Tim Corcoran was one of five entrepreneurs delivering rapid-fire pitches to a live audience.
Deep Blue Biotech Co-Founder Tim Corcoran at The Digital Forge event. Photo Credit Rich Gill (Gilly Photography).
Incubating, accelerating and connecting high-growth businesses like Chalkie and Deep Blue Biotech is core to the business-focused activity within Sheffield's urban innovation district. Spanning 190 acres within Sheffield city centre and bookended by two world-class universities, the Spine convenes businesses, policymakers, researchers, developers and building operators to start and scale companies that employ locally and trade globally.
Keynote speaker Tom Wolfenden outlined the commercial case for building high-growth businesses in Sheffield. Addressing the city’s economic output and higher-paid job gap compared to other core cities, he emphasised the city’s stand-out human, societal, spacial and industrial strengths, and the need to concentrate productive, knowledge-led companies in the urban core—noting that every 10 knowledge jobs created support seven more employment opportunities across the wider local economy
Keynote speaker Tom Wolfenden at the Digital Forge Event. Photo Credit Rich Gill (Gilly Photography).
Sharing the physical vision for the Spine, Tom described the innovation district as a purpose-led partnership creating growth opportunities across the region by designing for density and connecting five mixed-use neighbourhoods in Sheffield city centre over the next two decades. By focusing investment, clustering specialist facilities, workspaces and collaboration hubs, and leaning into our technical talent, university commercialisation programmes, and "No Wrong Door" incubator network, the Spine offers a powerful proposition for businesses looking for their place to start, scale and stay in Sheffield.
Networks like The Digital Forge are vitally important to the Spine and South Yorkshire's wider innovation ecosystem. By bringing founders, funders and civic leaders together under one roof, The Digital Forge events help to convert physical proximity into high-trust networks, sparking real commercial partnerships, and building a shared, confident narrative around Sheffield as a place where ambitious companies belong.
Feel like you’ve missed out? You can watch the full livestream of the event here.