A long journey to work? Liverpool is worth it, claims German entrepreneur

Do you think that you have a long commute to work? Well, successful entrepreneur Stephan Willigans was so impressed by Liverpool that he based his software headquarters there - even though it meant a weekly commute of almost 600 miles in each direction for him - from his home in Frankfurt, Germany to and from Liverpool. Stephan's company, SLR Technology Solutions Ltd, is a world leader in access control systems, using the latest technology such as biometric recognition systems. He could have located anywhere, but chose Liverpool.

What was it that persuaded Stephan to locate his organisation in Liverpool?

The answer is simple. Liverpool is well known as a city of creativity and culture. What is less well known is that has a long history of technology and enterprise. The early electronics companies, such as Plessey and Marconi, which had large factories based in Liverpool, have now been replaced by technology and business parks with a concentration of IT activity, a large pool of graduates and centres of excellence such as the International Centre for Digital Content. In addition, Liverpool based organisations now have unique access to superb sources of funding through the Liverpool Seed Fund and Liverpool Ventures. The source of funding was critically important for Stephan. They enabled him to take his early ideas and see them through to very successful fruition.

As an international businessman Stephan knew he could have easily started SLR Technology Solutions anywhere - Germany, Switzerland, England or any other country. One of the key reasons he chose Liverpool was the Liverpool Seed Fund and Liverpool Ventures. Stephan explained, In other parts of the world you often have to work with a government bank who may give you a loan or credit.

It's not possible to work with an organisation like Liverpool Ventures in other parts of Europe. Government banks in Germany specify exactly where you must put the office. With Liverpool Ventures we had the whole of Merseyside to choose from. Stephan went on to explain that many other countries want high levels of guarantees and security that just were not viable for a company like his. Liverpool was far more flexible and helpful.

Liverpool Ventures played an important role in introducing Stephan to Liverpool Seed Fund. Stephan explained that this resulted in his company obtaining critically important seed funding, helped his company to get through the proof of concept phase, provided support with location of premises, and also provided management support from Liverpool Ventures. Stephan said I was very excited about what Liverpool Ventures could offer and would not have been able to succeed without Liverpool Ventures; Liverpool Ventures are very helpful and easy to work with; Liverpool is actually a great place for software companies such as mine, as it combines a very long history of innovation with the high degree of creativity that's necessary for innovative and ground-breaking technology to succeed

As well as all this, Liverpool Ventures has used its contacts to get the services of a non-executive director for SLR Solutions. Roger Heise from the Liverpool area and who, coincidentally, has spent most of his working life in Germany, is typical of the breed that Liverpool Ventures likes to link with its client companies. He's a serial entrepreneur who's founded three companies including a technical company and TV post- production company. As Non Executive Director for SLR solutions, Roger is now willing to share the secrets of success and utilise his influence throughout USA and Europe to help create a winning company.

It was all these factors that make the weekly commute for Stephan an investment well worth making. Liverpool Ventures and Liverpool Seed Fund have helped many other companies achieve their objectives. They have proven that they can provide unrivalled sources of finance and other assistance that really make the difference between success or failure.