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Delivering early-stage enterprise support relies on a broad range of partnerships. From trusts and foundations to local authorities and corporate organisations, the value of investing early is essential to ensuring equal access to enterprise.
At Hatch Enterprise, we’re proud to work with organisations that share our belief in inclusive entrepreneurship. One such partner is Aareon Group, who recently supported our mission to build a better world through entrepreneurship with a one-off donation.
Supporting founders at critical moments
Corporate support plays a crucial role in enabling charities like Hatch Enterprise to deliver early-stage business support. This is particularly important during the pre-launch and early trading phases when access to guidance and capital is often most limited. We see this lack of access compounded by socioeconomic barriers typically faced by our beneficiary base.
Alongside Aareon’s financial contribution, Mark La Pensée, UK Chief Product Officer at Aareon Group has engaged with our founder community. Mark extended his support for Hatch through both mentoring and participation in one of our programme Demo Days as a Friendly Dragon.
Friendly Dragons are a vital part of Hatch Enterprise’s programme delivery. At the end of a Hatch programme, every founder is given the opportunity to pitch their business in a supportive environment at one of our Demo Days.
During our Demo Days, founders receive constructive feedback from experienced professionals like Mark. Their expertise spans industries and is specifically selected based on the cohort’s needs. These sessions help founders test their ideas, strengthen their propositions, and build confidence as they move towards growth.
It was through one of these sessions that Mark first encountered PURR Glasgow, founded by Hatch Incubator graduate Brittnee Leysen.
“I’m the first to admit I’m not a cat person, but after seeing Purr’s pitch during the Hatch Friendly Dragons’ Den I was genuinely impressed,” Mark says.
“The passion and ambition Brittnee brought to her product and brand were inspiring, and I wanted to see if I could help her realise her dream.”
Mentorship success in action
PURR Glasgow offers expert, cat-only grooming and wellness services, providing a calm and stress-free environment designed around feline wellbeing.
Brittnee completed Hatch’s Incubator programme. Following support from Hatch, she has continued to grow the business. She has launched her services on Shopify and navigated strategic decisions to support sustainable growth.
Additionally, Britnee’s ongoing success led to a finalist spot in the Early Stage Start-Up of the Year category at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Mark has become an incredible mentor to me and to PURR. We’ve had multiple mentorship Zoom sessions as the business has scaled. His guidance has played a real part in some of the strongest decisions I’ve made this year.
Reflecting on his involvement, Mark adds:
Supporting Purr and Brittnee has been incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s offering guidance, having the tough conversations, or simply watching the company grow from strength to strength. Hearing updates every few months has been a privilege to be part of.
Access to experienced voices at key moments can provide reassurance, clarity, and momentum for founders. At present, in an uncertain economic climate, this type of expertise is vital.
Why corporate charity partnerships matter
Hatch Enterprise collaborates with a diverse range of partners to deliver scalable early-stage enterprise support. We couple funding from our corporate partnerships with volunteering and knowledge sharing, forming an integral part of our unique ecosystem.
As a consequence of established organisations choosing to partner with Hatch Enterprise, they help ensure that diverse founders can succeed.
Our beneficiaries face barriers such as knowledge gaps, funding constraints, and a lack of forward-looking business strategy when seeking our support.
However with early intervention, resilient businesses are established. They continue to contribute to local economies and communities for years to come.
We’re grateful to Aareon Group for supporting our work and for their active engagement with our founder community.
If your organisation is exploring ways to support inclusive entrepreneurship through funding and employee volunteering, we’d welcome a conversation about how you can get involved with Hatch Enterprise.
Find out how you can help build a better world through entrepreneurship today.
