ClimbUK has and will always be about helping ambitious businesses grow by bringing the right people into the same room. The Climb festival has become a recognised national meeting point for founders, investors, advisers, corporates, universities and public-sector leaders who are serious about scaling. But growth doesn’t happen in one place, and it certainly doesn’t only happen on a main stage in Leeds.
That is why we’re taking ClimbUK on the road.
The Climb26 national tour is designed to connect directly with regional ecosystems across the UK, bringing together the founders, business leaders, investors, advisers, universities, innovation hubs, local authorities, accelerators and corporates who collectively shape what’s possible in each place.
The tour isn’t a mini version of the main event; it’s a practical way to build relationships, share what’s working, and make it easier for high-growth businesses to access the people and support that can help them scale.
Why a national tour now?
The UK’s high-growth economy is increasingly regional. Breakthrough companies are emerging from every part of the country, often connected to deep sector strengths: advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, digital and creative, climate and energy, fintech, food and agri-tech, and more. At the same time, many founders still face the same barriers:
- finding investors who genuinely understand their stage and sector
- meeting the right partners and customers early enough to make a difference
- navigating complex support landscapes without wasting time
- building teams fast while maintaining focus and culture
- learning from peers who have already hit the challenges they’re about to face
Regional ecosystems are full of talent and capability, but the relationships between them can be fragmented.
Our tour is about reducing that friction, connecting people who should know each other, and doing it in a way that feels useful rather than performative.
What the tour is (and what it isn’t)
Think of the national tour as a high-quality networking and connection series with a clear purpose: to strengthen the ties between the growth communities that already exist and broaden the network around Climb’s main event.
You can expect:
- Real conversations, not just talksYes, we will showcase elements of what happens at Climb26 - the themes, the opportunity areas, the types of people you can meet, and the value delegates typically get. But the core of the tour is conversation: founder-to-founder, founder-to-investor, corporate-to-innovator, ecosystem-to-ecosystem.
- A strong mix of attendeesWe’re aiming for a balanced room. Founders and business leaders from high-growth businesses are central, but the tour is intentionally built to include the people who make scaling easier: investors, corporate innovation leaders, advisors, ecosystem builders, universities, accelerators, and public-sector partners. If you care about regional growth, this is your room.
- Connection with intent
The best networking doesn’t happen by accident. The tour will be structured so attendees can quickly identify who they should meet, with time and space for introductions that lead somewhere, not just a swap of LinkedIn connections. - A bridge into Climb26
For people who haven’t attended before, the tour is a simple way to understand what Climb is and decide whether it’s worth your time. For returning delegates and partners, it’s a way to deepen relationships early and arrive at Climb26 already connected.
What it isn’t:
- It isn’t a roadshow packed with sponsor pitches.
- It isn’t a “one-way broadcast” from a stage.
- It isn’t an exclusive club for insiders.
If you’re building, scaling, investing, enabling or supporting high-growth businesses, you should feel right at home.
Who should attend?
The tour is designed for people who are actively involved in growth.
You’ll get the most value if you are:
A founder or business leader of a high-growth business
You want better access to customers, capital, talent, partners, and peer insight. You’re open to new relationships - and you’re serious about turning them into progress.
An investor, corporate partner or strategic advisor
You want to meet credible, ambitious businesses and the people around them. You’re looking for deal flow, partnerships, commercial opportunities, or simply a better view of what’s happening in the market.
An ecosystem builder
You might be running an accelerator, leading an innovation hub, shaping activity within a university, driving growth through a local authority, coordinating a cluster group, or supporting a membership community. Your work connects founders, builds regional momentum, and strengthens the conditions for businesses to grow.
You’re looking to deepen your region’s national connections, understand what’s working in other places, and give your founders access to wider networks without losing the identity and strengths of your home ecosystem.
What you’ll leave with
A good event should deliver outcomes, not just a nice evening. While every location will reflect local strengths, the intended outputs of the national tour are consistent:
- new relationships with founders and business leaders you should know
- clearer routes to capital, customers and partnerships
- introductions across the ecosystem that reduce time-to-progress
- insights into scaling challenges and solutions from people living them
- a direct line into the Climb26 network and community
If you measure value by “useful people met” and “conversations that move things forward”, the tour is built for you.
Keeping it practical: what to do before you attend
To get the most from an event like this, arrive with intent.
- Know your ask. Whether it’s investment, partnerships, hires, customers or advice, be clear.
- Be specific about who you want to meet. “Anyone in tech” is too broad.
- Bring one strong story. A tight explanation of what you do, why it matters, and what you’re building next.
- Follow up quickly. The best networking ROI comes in the week after the room, not in the room itself.
We’ll do our part by creating the conditions for good connections (including a few drinks and some nibbles Climb style!). The rest is about showing up ready.
If you’re serious about growth and want to be better connected to the people shaping it - join us on the tour. Find a tour location near you and register here
A special mention to our tour hosts and partners, Natwest, Palatine, Entrepreneurial Spark, YorkshireMedTech, University of Huddersfield and AltLabs
There are still opportunities to partner with some dates on the Climb26 Launch Tour. For further information please contact Vicki Hayes.