Founders of four promising early-stage startups have been confirmed for a Manchester Startups 2.0 panel at Trailblazing Tech 2023.

The panel will unveil the 25 under-the-radar companies to be included on the first edition of TechBlast’s new annual list and be chaired by award-winning journalist Chris Maguire, executive editor of TechBlast and BusinessCloud.

The inaugural Manchester Startups 2.0 list will recognise fledgling founder-led companies which are bootstrapped, pre-seed or angel-backed, and either building or harnessing a unique technology.

Four of the startups can now be revealed – and the audience at pro-manchester’s Trailblazing Tech conference on Friday 23rd June will hear about the early stages of their journey and ambitious plans for the future.

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Eleanor Harry, founder and CEO of HACE, will explain the startup’s data-driven solutions to eliminate child labour from company supply chains and beyond.

Recognised as a Rising Star by Computer Weekly, HACE – behind the prototype Child Labour Index – is plotting a funding round to build an AI-assisted auditor tool which also has the power to benefit other fields.

Amy Whitell, co-founder and CEO of Collctiv, will speak about the FinTech’s plans to expand its app helping group organisers collect money for activities.

To date, Collctiv – co-founded by former Twinkl CTO Pete Casson and selected to join the prestigious Techstars New York accelerator programme last year – has helped 640,000 people in over 100 countries and processed over $37 million of payments.

Felix Robinson, co-founder and CEO of  Pet Trust UK, will discuss her online platform for the responsible buying and selling of pets.

The startup’s forthcoming AI screening platform prioritises pet welfare and secure transactions, while verifying a dog’s breed lineage and health history. eCommerce features are also in the works.

Finally Sam Marshall, managing director of Snippit, will explain his plans for introducing smart mirrors into barbershops – and the company’s patent-pending tech.

The mirrors, which provide entertainment and advertising, have been trialled by celebrity barbers HD cutz London, which cuts the hair of football stars Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema.

Trailblazing Tech conference 2023

Trailblazing Tech 2023 will host a rich line-up of expert keynote speakers, panel sessions and live tech demonstrations. Topics include cybersecurity, FinTech, voice recognition and digital transformation for every size of business.

It will also see three finalists for the Trailblazing Tech Award – Boodil, Leafyard and GigPig – pitch to the audience, which will subsequently decide the winner of the 2023 gong.

The conference will take place at The Lowry Hotel, Manchester on Friday 23rd June 2023.

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Launching: Boodil – a rewards and loyalty app