Inicio.ai wins £1.35m in One To Win pitch competition
By Molly Matthews
1 minute 57 seconds
Press Release

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Quick Read: Inicio.ai, a fintech tech startup based in the West Midlands has been awarded £1.35 Million at Birmingham Tech Week’s Tech Awards as part of the One To Win pitch competition. One to Win is spearheaded by TechWM, Rigby Group plc, SCC, Haatch, and the West Midlands Co-Invest Fund (delivered through Midven, part of Future Planet Capital), and boasts the largest single prize for any pitch competition in the UK.
Four months after the competition was announced at London Tech Week, Inicio AI, the home of Budgie AI, a virtual agent that provide consumers with financial support without fear or embarrassment of waiting to speak to a human agent has been picked as the region’s most promising start-up business. Backed by leading investors, stakeholders, and key tech players, the pitch competition demonstrates the belief in the region’s ability to become a global tech superpower and shines a light on the region’s vibrant and thriving tech sector on the national stage. 
Inicio.ai was part of a shortlist of three West Midlands based startups including ChangeMaker3D, a 3D concrete printing company aiming to reduce carbon emissions and material costs; Skyfarer, a startup focusing on revolutionising the use of drones, particularly for medical uses.
The four finalists pitched on Wednesday 23 October to a panel of judges including Steve Rigby, CEO of Rigby Group plc; Yiannis Maos MBE, CEO of TechWM;  Fred Soneya, Co-founder and General Partner at Haatch; Charlie Weavers-Wright, B2B SaaS Investor at Haatch; Hephzi Pemberton, Founder and Chair of Equality Group;  and, Rupert Lyle, Fund Principal at West Midlands Co-Investment Fund. Together, this panel were looking out for the West Midlands business that’s demonstrating game-changing innovation and is on track to further impressive growth.
The initiative is also set to support those from the region who didn’t meet the entry criteria, offering alternative support: including opportunities for trade missions; investor connections; access to mentors and workshops;  guidance on accelerators and incubators; and links to corporate innovation programmes.
Yiannis Maos MBE, Founder, Birmingham Tech Week and CEO TechWM commented:
“The One to Win competition is a testament to our ongoing efforts to nurture, support and promote the thriving tech ecosystem in the West Midlands. We firmly believe that our region is a hidden gem in the global tech landscape, and we’ve been working tirelessly to showcase its immense potential.
“Innovative initiatives like One to Win provide invaluable platforms for local startups to shine. Thanks to the generous support of our stakeholders, partners, and sponsors, we’re able to offer the winner a life-changing opportunity to receive the UK’s largest pitch competition prize.
“This win is not only a significant milestone for the winner but also a testament to the region’s growing reputation as a hub for tech innovation.”
Steve Rigby added:
“Congratulations to the winner on their well-deserved success, I look forward to following their progress. I also wish the very best to the other finalists, who I am sure will achieve great things. One to Win has shown that the West Midlands is home to some great entrepreneurial tech talent and I hope that this fantastic competition will create some momentum to encourage other entrepreneurs and investors to find success in our region.”
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The State of the West Midlands Digital Skills Ecosystem

Digital skill shortages could have cost the UK £4.4 billion last year alone, with projections escalating to a staggering £27.6 billion by 2030. The West Midlands, in particular, is experiencing increasing demand for intermediate and advanced digital skills - as stated by a recent research from the University of Birmingham’s City-Regional Economic Development Institute (City-REDI). 
While these figures are alarming, they are not surprising. Addressing digital skills shortages in our region represents a significant economic opportunity. With the right interventions, we have the potential to unlock unprecedented growth. 
Nearly five months into my role as Director of Digital Skills and Commercial Impact at TechWM, I’ve had countless conversations with organisations across various sectors. My goal? To understand their immediate and long-term digital skills needs—and, more importantly, why there remains such a stark mismatch between digital skills supply and demand in the West Midlands.
Photo: Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Director - Digital Skills & Commercial Impact
Shifting Perspectives on the Digital Skills Gap
Initially, I assumed that this challenge was primarily supply-side: a lack of skilled individuals entering the workforce. However, after deeper exploration, I’ve uncovered significant demand-side barriers that are preventing businesses from fully leveraging digital talent.
Let’s rewind to 2020, when the pandemic forced businesses to adopt digital tools overnight. At that time, the focus was on up-skilling the workforce to ensure employees could use essential platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. There was also a surge in demand for advanced technical skills in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI.
Since then, numerous policy interventions have aimed to boost digital skills. However, these initiatives have often been fragmented, poorly promoted, and disconnected from the businesses that could benefit the most.
The Business Reality: Short-Term Pressures Stalling Long-Term Growth
Today, while the supply of digital talent is improving, external factors such as economic uncertainty and budget constraints are forcing businesses into survival mode. Many organisations, instead of planning for the next three to five years, are focused on making it through the next quarter.
This short-term approach limits investment in digital transformation. Businesses are firefighting rather than strategising—missing out on opportunities to implement AI, automation, and other digital efficiencies that could drive productivity and profitability. Ironically, the very investments that could help businesses cut costs and gain a competitive edge are being delayed due to perceived financial and time constraints.
Photo: Yiannis Maos MBE, Richard Bovey, Victoria Pargetter-Garner, Mayor Richard Parker, Vikki Bradney-Spencer, Mike Lattimer, Lauren Monks, David Gaughan
The Disconnect Between Employers and Digital Talent
We know that businesses are struggling to find the right digital talent. Yet, paradoxically, we also know that many skilled individuals—particularly those completing digital skills bootcamps—are struggling to secure relevant employment.
So, what’s going wrong?
1. Do employers simply not know about available training initiatives?
2. Are businesses hesitant to onboard talent that lacks real-world experience?
3. Is it a case of limited resources, where employers can’t afford to train new hires?
Similarly, we see a significant underutilisation of free or heavily subsidised upskilling programs. Despite funding being available, many businesses are not taking advantage of these opportunities. Why? Is it a lack of awareness? Are course costs still perceived as too high? Or is it simply that businesses can’t afford to release staff for training?
Help Us Shape the Future of Digital Skills in the West Midlands
These are just some of the working hypotheses based on the conversations I’ve had so far. But to drive meaningful change, we need more data. That’s why, as part of the West Midlands Digital Skills Consortium—a collaboration between TechWM, the West Midlands Combined Authority, IBM UK Ltd., AND Digital, In4 Group, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire—we are launching an employer survey.
This survey aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current digital skills landscape, helping us design initiatives that truly meet business needs. By combining this data with insights from previous surveys, such as the Local Skills Improvement Plan, we hope to develop a regional blueprint for digital skills growth—one that drives economic prosperity.
Get Involved
If you’re a business leader in the West Midlands, we need your input. Please take five minutes to complete our
Employer Survey
. Your insights will directly inform new initiatives and interventions to bridge the digital skills gap.
Additionally, we will be hosting a series of workshops to explore these challenges in greater depth. If you’d like to contribute to shaping the future of digital skills in our region, drop me an email on:
vickie@techwm.com
and I’d love to have a chat.  
Together, we can build a stronger, more digitally empowered West Midlands—one that is ready to tackle the challenges of today and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Let’s make tech succeed, in the most human of places! 
By Victoria Pargetter-Garner
24 Feb
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