This programme was a pilot, it was designed to see whether we could drum up enough interest to find six globally-focused tech companies in Northern Ireland and I believe we more than succeeded. I have already received two enquiries about the 2011 intake so there is plainly demand.

Sadly the end of the programme coincides with the closing of the Marquis building, which made things a little more abrupt than I was expecting. The building landlords are insisting that every business in the building makes other arrangements as they are not willing to put the investment needed to make the building properly habitable. It’s a shame as the building itself is beautiful, filled with the history of entrepreneurship.

For 2011, we need more involvement. We will be inviting the 2010 ‘graduates’ to become part of our structure. We are also looking for interested individuals to fill out some of the pages listed above – we need more mentors, more partners and we need to populate the advisory board as well.

Special thanks to Marty from AirPOS Ltd (AirPOS), Rich from Crafty Devil (Planzai), Martin from Referalot (Referalot), Patrick from R8Technology (R8YourPolitician), Lyra from Newsrupt (Qluso) and Simon from Rumble Labs (Onotate) for being our guinea pigs – and I hope it was all worthwhile.

Therefore we’re calling out strong arms and clear heads for a Bank Holiday Monday Build-a-thon. We need folk who can lift, carry, people who are not afriad to pick up a hoover or a dustpan, people who want to help build up old PCs, install Linux and get a network up and running.

We’re going to bring the desks up, we’re going to build as many as we can and then we’re going to eat pizza. Please RSVP in the comments if you’re coming!

Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. it’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. – Barack Obama

We’re going round and talking to people about VI, what it is and how it intends not only to deliver but also to be sustainable. One thing is certain – though the concept may be nebulous and hard to understand at first when you come from a world which is ruled by the price per square foot of space, when it’s explained correctly, everyone gets it.

I’ve put some of that into this PDF document which you can download and read, forward to anyone else and generally quote from.

VI is about taking a chance, it’s about a few motivated individuals who are going to shoulder part of the burden of risk for a few startups. And we have to remember that it’s okay to fail – as long as you don’t let that be the end.

We’re providing a place, a process, desks, chairs, light, heat, painted walls and experienced mentors. This is only part of what we see as missing in the Northern Ireland startup scene and we’re interested in talking to other like-minded folk who can help put together the other parts of the picture.

Remember, VI is not tied to a place or a group of people. It’s an idea, a process. If you want to replicate the VI process then get in touch and we can help put together the same process and same ideas in your location.

If you want to help, get in touch.

Time
We need help to do this. We need people to help put up and paint stud walls, carry desks, clear the floor, assemble and lay out furniture and help create a place for startups to live. The material costs of this will be borne by our initial sponsors: NoMoreArt, Mac-Sys Ltd and David Kirk. The time costs will, in the short term be provided by Marty from NoMoreArt and Matt Johnston. We’d like others to contribute in-kind.

We will also need companies to give their time to startups to get them going. The ‘tenants’ of VI will need donations of time in order to realise their potential. They’ll need to speak to lawyers on matters of IP and contracts, accountants for income and export taxation, marketing experts, business mentors and advisors (public or private). The opportunity is to build relationships with emerging startups.

Money
VI is being sponsored by NoMoreArt, MacSysLtd and David Kirk in order to start something in Northern Ireland. If it is to continue, it may need additional sponsorship from other companies and individuals who see the value in the process. We’re going to put up a Sponsor Wall. Space for us to identify and thank the companies which have contributed to the success of VI.

There is little or no seed capital in Northern Ireland. This means that emergent startups are immediately at as a disadvantage as they cannot afford high rents for premises as well as living expenses. VI is therefore looking for potential investors in tenant businesses. If you’re interested and you want to meet local entrepreneurs and their companies, then please get in touch. We’re just looking to start the process.

Comment below if you would like to donate or pledge time or money to VI or the tenants.