Catalyst has today announced British Business Bank as the investment partner for SEAM, a new entrepreneurship festival for Northern Ireland.
Taking place on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at Banana Block in Belfast, SEAM brings founders, investors, and business support organisations from across Northern Ireland together in a single annual moment, built around visibility, connection and momentum for people who are already building something, or keen to get started.
British Business Bank has confirmed it will be hosting the Cross Investor Lounge, a dedicated investor space at SEAM which will bring founders together with active investors and business angels throughout the one-day festival.
The new partnership was announced as Catalyst confirmed up to 50 funds and angel investors are expected to attend the event and issued a final call for investors to get involved with SEAM and sign up to take part in the programme.
Susan Nightingale, Senior Director from British Business Bank, said: “Northern Ireland has a strong pipeline of innovative, high-potential businesses, and connecting those companies with external capital is critical to helping them realise their growth ambitions. We’re pleased to be supporting The Cross and continuing our partnership with Catalyst, we look forward to welcoming investors and showcasing the best of what NI has to offer.”
Fiona Bennington, Director of Entrepreneurship and Scaling at Catalyst, said: “SEAM celebrates and encourages traction in a founder centric way, bringing Northern Ireland’s whole entrepreneurship ecosystem together in one place; investors are central to this. We are delighted that British Business Bank has chosen to support The Cross. The Bank has done a great deal of valuable work to improve access to finance for start-ups and scale-ups in Northern Ireland, and know this collaboration will bring much needed capital and network support to founders.”
SEAM is expected to attract more than 300 founders, investors, operators and ecosystem leaders, including a dedicated investor forum bringing together funders from across the UK and Ireland.
Any investors who wish to find out more can do so at seamfest.org/investors.
In the photo
- Patrick McIlveen, Head of Entrepreneurship, Catalyst
- Susan Nightingale, Senior Director, British Business Bank
- Carolyn Halferty, Partnership Manager, Catalyst
- Susan McKane, Senior Manager, British Business Bank
- Heather Carr, Programme Manager, Catalyst