- Akcela Ventures – Norwich’s only city centre business incubator based in Fuel Studios
- Tom Wood – Has left global digital design agency Foolproof, the Norwich-founded digital design agency he founded in 2002 and sold in 2016. He is joining Akcela Ventures as a shareholder and part of the incubator team
- Announcement – will be at the official launch of Akcela Ventures at an event in their office at 3pm Tuesday 10 May
AKCELA VENTURES : Press release: Norwich, England, May 10, 2022 — Digital experience expert, Tom Wood has joined the management team and shareholder board of Norwich-based tech incubator — Akcela Ventures. He will work closely with start-ups in the incubator, bringing his specialist skills in product design and user experience as well as his knowledge about building and managing teams in high-growth businesses. Akcela Ventures is Norwich’s only city centre business incubator. The Akcela incubator provides business advice, desk-space and a lively community of entrepreneurs and mentors to help new businesses succeed and grow. It is privately owned and privately funded. It opened at Fuel Studios on Pottergate, Norwich UK in November 2021 and already has 9 early-stage start-ups working in its incubator space. Tom Wood was the founder of global digital design agency Foolproof and was Managing Partner at the firm for 19 years. He started the company in Norwich in 2002 and grew it to have an international client base with a team of over 200 people in offices in Norwich, London, Singapore, Cape Town and Pune. He sold the business in 2016 and left last year. James Adams, Managing Director at Akcela Ventures explained how Tom Wood’s arrival on their board will allow the incubator to grow and flourish in the years ahead. “We’re really excited to have Tom join our team. As a founder and entrepreneur he has experience which will be incredibly valuable to the early-stage companies we support. Tom is well-known for his commitment to tech and creative businesses in the city. He’s been a community leader in business for over two decades.” “Tom joining us further expands the wealth of experience the Akcela team has to offer early-stage companies, offering them more global knowledge and entrepreneurial support that will help businesses to break out and become national and internationally recognised brands. It’s another part of our drive to build skills, opportunity and wealth for the region.” Tom Wood explained what motivated him to join Akcela: “Working in a start-up incubator is exactly my kind of fun. There’s enormous energy and enthusiasm around early-stage companies. While I’m here to share some of the things I’ve learned from my career I’m also in a place where I can learn something new every day. Norwich is already known nationally for a lively start-up scene. I think that’s now at a tipping point where we can create some superstar companies of the future which will take on the world while making their home here in the city.”