A PARTNERSHIP between a Blackburn tech entrepreneur and another Northern organisation will be offering advice to start-up businesses.

IN4.0 Group, founded by Blackburn-born Mo Isap, will be collaborating with TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) UK North, which describes itself as one of the largest entrepreneur networks in the world.

Together they will be providing leadership support and mentoring, one-to-ones discussions, speaker-led sessions, drop-ins and round table events to businesses across East Lancashire and the wider North West at IN4.0's HOST facility in MediaCityUK, Salford.

Mr Isap said: "HOST is proud to be partnering with TiE UK North and with its impressive global reach, this collaboration will hugely benefit the innovation community at HOST and the wider Northern ecosystem.

He added: "This impactful partnership will bring together world-leading entrepreneurs to provide key mentoring, leadership and funding support to start-ups, nurturing the next generation of diverse talent and our future business leaders."

Start-up businesses will also have access to TiE’s investment support and learning through what they have dubbed ‘friendly dragon’ sessions, modelled on the BBC series Dragons' Den.

The partnership between the two firms will also be deepened by Mr Isap becoming a TiE entrepreneur charter member, while TiE UK North board member Vikas Shah MBE will join HOST as head of entrepreneurship.

TiE UK North president Tony Walker said: "We are thrilled for TiE UK North to join forces with HOST, it is an amazing organisation with a wonderful, revitalised building.

"We look forward to developing our joint focus on innovation support for entrepreneurial people and businesses, especially for start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises.

"It’s critical organisations like ours come together to help encourage more entrepreneurs and grow our way out of the pandemic and create a vibrant regional ecosystem with global ambition.

"Mo and his HOST team are primed to add value to our events and activities and enhance our already esteemed board membership.

"I am personally looking forwards to us holding physical events once again on the seventh floor of HOST, as it’s such an iconic location and to have our communities link up with the support available there."