North West Thrives as Startup Powerhouse
Published on 25/04/2025
The North West continues to prove a hub for innovation and enterprise, with new data finding that 33,000 new businesses were launched in the region throughout 2023. Despite economic challenges, figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the region continues to lead in business creation across the North and Midlands, cementing the region’s status as a dynamic engine of growth outside London.
Greater Manchester remains a central driver of the region’s business growth, contributing over 14,500 new enterprises in 2023, while Manchester city alone saw the birth of 3,630 new businesses, reflecting the area’s resilience and strong support ecosystem for startups, creatives, and tech-driven ventures.
While the North West’s business birth rate remains nationally competitive at 11.6%, second only to London at 12.6%, long-term performance is more difficult. Only 30% of businesses survive to their fifth year, lagging behind the national average of 40%.
Mike Williams, Office Managing Partner of Marks & Clerk’s Manchester office, and co-author of The IP-Driven Startup comments:
“It’s inspiring to see the North West leading the way in business creation, but to give our start-ups the best chances for success, founders must not overlook intellectual property (IP) assets. Protecting your IP early isn’t just about legal protections; it’s about securing your competitive edge, attracting investors and building a foundation for long-term growth.”
Robert Lind, Partner at Marks & Clerk and co-author of The IP-Driven Startup, comments:
“IP rights are often deprioritised by start-ups, seen as complex, costly, or the preserve of larger companies - but these misconceptions leave businesses vulnerable just as they begin to gain traction. Further down the line, unsecured IP can also significantly undermine long-term value. Investors aren’t just looking for innovative ideas – they’re looking for evidence of ownership and control.”
To help start-ups build strategically from day one, Marks & Clerk have released a newly updated version of The IP-Driven Startup, a free eBook designed to help founders understand their IP and use it to their advantage. The guide is informed by their decades of experience supporting business owners and entrepreneurs across every sector and includes insights from Trainee Patent Attorney Mitasha Bharadwaj, also a business founder, who examines every aspect of capturing and protecting IP for start-ups from an entrepreneurial perspective.
A copy of The IP Driven Start-up is available here.
More information about Marks & Clerk’s offering for start-ups can be found here.
Greater Manchester remains a central driver of the region’s business growth, contributing over 14,500 new enterprises in 2023, while Manchester city alone saw the birth of 3,630 new businesses, reflecting the area’s resilience and strong support ecosystem for startups, creatives, and tech-driven ventures.
While the North West’s business birth rate remains nationally competitive at 11.6%, second only to London at 12.6%, long-term performance is more difficult. Only 30% of businesses survive to their fifth year, lagging behind the national average of 40%.
Mike Williams, Office Managing Partner of Marks & Clerk’s Manchester office, and co-author of The IP-Driven Startup comments:
“It’s inspiring to see the North West leading the way in business creation, but to give our start-ups the best chances for success, founders must not overlook intellectual property (IP) assets. Protecting your IP early isn’t just about legal protections; it’s about securing your competitive edge, attracting investors and building a foundation for long-term growth.”
Robert Lind, Partner at Marks & Clerk and co-author of The IP-Driven Startup, comments:
“IP rights are often deprioritised by start-ups, seen as complex, costly, or the preserve of larger companies - but these misconceptions leave businesses vulnerable just as they begin to gain traction. Further down the line, unsecured IP can also significantly undermine long-term value. Investors aren’t just looking for innovative ideas – they’re looking for evidence of ownership and control.”
To help start-ups build strategically from day one, Marks & Clerk have released a newly updated version of The IP-Driven Startup, a free eBook designed to help founders understand their IP and use it to their advantage. The guide is informed by their decades of experience supporting business owners and entrepreneurs across every sector and includes insights from Trainee Patent Attorney Mitasha Bharadwaj, also a business founder, who examines every aspect of capturing and protecting IP for start-ups from an entrepreneurial perspective.
A copy of The IP Driven Start-up is available here.
More information about Marks & Clerk’s offering for start-ups can be found here.
