PropertECO, the Bath-based firm that tests buildings for radon gas, has won the The Pitch 2014, the UK-wide competition to find the country’s best entrepreneurial small businesses.
Founded in 2011 by Rebecca Coates and her business partner Martin Freeman, PropertECO is one of the few UK firms involved in testing for radon – the cause of an estimated 1,000-plus deaths a year in the UK alone from lung cancer.
It was one of 1,000 small firms that applied to take part in The Pitch. These were first whittled down to 100 and then to a shortlist of 30.
Rebecca was of one of the 30 entrepreneurs who pitched in front of an audience of more than 200 during The Pitch final – an 11-hour entrepreneurial extravaganza staged in Bristol.
Having impressed the judges, she went on to become one of five finalists to pitch again before claiming the top prize at the end of a gruelling day.
PropertECO provides inexpensive radon testing kits for homeowners and also works with commercial landlords. As well as testing, it installs specialist ventilation systems to reduce concentrations if high levels of radon are detected. It recently co-founded the UK Radon Association, a trade body to give information to the public, provide training and promote the industry.
European legislation announced in February requires the UK to have more stringent regulation and enforcement in place by 2018, along with a plan to increase public awareness of the potentially deadly yet often overlooked gas.
PropertECO will now receive business support worth thousands of pounds as overall winner of The Pitch.
The Pitch judges were Judith Bitterli, serial entrepreneur and chief marketing officer at AVG; Charles Carter, director of regions at ICAEW; Karen Darby, founder of CrowdMission.com; and Lara Morgan, founder of Company Shortcuts.
Judith Bitterli said: “We believe passionately in entrepreneurs. Our company was founded by entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic and most of the business leaders at AVG are entrepreneurs. We support the endeavours, creativity and imagination of small businesses.
“The most successful contestants at The Pitch 2014 Final had in common clarity of purpose, mission and how they make money.
“When looking for a winner, I wanted to see a clear understanding of the marketplace, an understanding of how to make money and someone who could do it all in three minutes in a beautiful way. Congratulations to all the contestants. They did a great job. But a special shout out to PropertECO.”
Rebecca added “It’s so exciting to have won The Pitch 2014. It was really unexpected. There were so many great businesses involved and it has been quite a long journey so it’s a fantastic result for our company.
"The Pitch is not just a competition where you fill in an application form and there’s an award ceremony at the end and it’s all over. You get real value from it for your business. We’ve met so many great people that we’re going to have relationships with for a long time.
"I’ve really taken a lot from being part of The Pitch. I love the value of putting yourself out there to get your name known. You’ve got to take some risks and everyone gets nervous about doing a pitch, and that might be enough to put some people off. But I just say do it!”
Founded in Bristol in 2008, The Pitch has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs on the road to success. The final this year took place at Bristol’s Paintworks creative hub.
Pictured: Pitch winner Rebecca Coates, right, with judge and entrepreneur Judith Bitterli. Photo by Virginia Allwood, LeShopUK.com
